Remember When
by Eruaphadriel
Summary: Oh George Weasley what have you done? You went and lost the only one. Eight years have past and Alicia is home, but he's still the same and she's still alone. Can they rekindle the past and set things straight or is it just a little too late? Completed
1. I Lost My Heart Tonight

This is just an idea that has been floating in my head for a little too long. It begins at the glorious departure of the Weasley twins OoTP, and then blasts into the future. Please let me know what you think, cause if it doesn't seem too good I'm going to scrap it. Thanks!

Oh and as for a disclaimer: I only own the story idea.

Remember When

Chapter 1

15 minutes

Alicia Spinnet paced nervously back and forth across her dorm. She was almost certain she was going to be sick but she prayed to keep control of her stomach till after he left. Which by then could be a mixture of nausea and depression depending on which way things went. Hope was about the only thing she had left. Mostly because everything she had ever done to try and express her heart backfired. She hoped that this important meeting he asked her to was to profess his love for her.

What else could it be?

For Merlins sake they were together 20 of the 24 hours in a day. That had to mean something to him. She was also pretty sure that some of his 'accidental' touches weren't so accidental. This had to be it, it just had to be.

12 minutes

He'd be arriving in 12 minutes.

When he had pulled her aside after Herbology it was evident that whatever he needed to talk to her about was serious, and on the plus side he looked nervous too.

"Hey Leesh, wait up a second."

"Yeah?"

" You busy after Ancient Runes today?"

" I'm supposed to go over some new plays with Angie but I can skip if you need me."

"I need you."

"What!"

" I mean, well, I need to talk to you…it's important."

"Everything ok?"

" Yeah, uh, fine I just need to tell you something. I'll meet you up in your dorm about 15 minutes after class then?"

"Uh ok."

" I'm gonna go now."

" Me too."

"Bye."

"See ya later."

It was perhaps the most awkward conversation they had ever shared. SO naturally it meant one thing.

" He's in love with me." Alicia sighed and pulled her dark brown hair out of her face.

9 minutes

He'd be in her room in 9...

The knock on the door practically gave her a heart attack. Without much thought as to what she was doing Alicia sprang across the room and sat seductively on her bed. Hell if this didn't woo him then the boy was brain dead.

"Come in." She sang out in the most sultry voice she could muster.

The door kicked open with a loud bang. "Thanks for ditching out on me this afternoon. Geez and you couldn't even open the door for me?" Angelina moved across the room towards her bed with a large stack of books in her arms. "I waited in the library by myself Lici….the library! It was awful! I was by myself with a bunch of know-it-all wankers. Plus Umbridge came around and demanded I give her a full fledged description on why I was there, how long I was staying, what books I was taking out…blah blah blah. I'm surprised she didn't ask for my favorite color and my ultimate turn on." She dropped the books down on her bed.

"Didn't Katie tell you I had something to do? I told her to go find you for me." She bit nervously on her lower lip.

_8 minutes_

" I havent seen Katie since breakfast this morning." Angelina shrugged before kicking off her shoes.

"No!"

"No what?" She flopped down onto her bed and opened up one of the large books she had brought back with her. "oohh we should try this move next practice."

"Angelina you can't stay."

" Lici I'm pretty sure you are off your rocker today." She shook her head as she flipped another page of the book.

"Angelina you really _really _cant stay." Alicia motioned towards the door frantically.

Not bothering to pay much attention to her friend, Angelina reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a licorice wand. "Why…got a hot date or something?" She chuckled slightly and ripped off a bit of the wand. "Huh?" Bringing her eyes up to meet Alicia's she immediately sprang from her bed. " For the love of Merlin you do!" Racing across the room she grabbed Alicia by the shoulders. "Who? Tell me now!"

"Angie please go before he gets here."

7 minutes

"Just tell me …wait he's coming here? So it's a Gryffindor?"

"Angelina!"

"Come on Leesh this is monumental news! I mean you've been so obsessed with George for like a gazillion millenniums that its amazing you actually decided to go out with someone else…"

Alicia scuffed her foot against the floor. "I never said it was someone else."

Angelina's eyes went wide " No way…"

"What?" The smirk on Alicia's face was priceless.

"You've been snogging George."

"What! No… I mean I wish, but no…" She chuckled. " Actually it could be happening a lot sooner then I think."

"You dirty fox you finally told him?"

" Not exactly," Alicia sighed and reached for the hairbrush that was out on the night table. " I mean I'm finally gonna fess up when he comes here but he was the one who wanted to tell me something important. "

"Oh Lici!" Angelina reached out and wrapped her arms around her friend. " I am so excited for you!"

5 minutes

"Thanks, now can you please leave?" She pushed the largest smile on her lips and hoped Angelina would take the hint and beat it.

"Relax Alicia you know how George and Fred operate. If he said he'd be here in ten minutes it will most likely be twenty. So just add another ten minutes and take a deep breath."

"Come on Angie! I always hold back the girls from coming up here when you are spending your alone time with Fred."

She sneered. "Fred and I don't have alone time!"

"Oh right, you just padlock yourselves up here and discuss the life cycle of mandrakes." Alicia dodged a flying stuffed animal. " Hey that was almost my head!."

"Shut up." Grabbing the brush from Alicia's hand she pushed her down and began brushing the girls long hair. "

"Angie I'm nervous…." Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the door. " I've been waiting for the right time to tell George how I felt since fourth year."

"Yeah I know. Remember I've slept in the same room with you for years. Your dreams are revolting….." Throwing her free arm over her forehead Angelina pitched her voice in an obnoxious dramatic pitch. " Oh George, I love you so much. Your body is so divine, and your soft red hair draws me to you with each waking moment. All I ever wanted was to hold you in my arms and call you my own…."

"Alicia?" Both girls snapped their heads up towards the door. " You in there?"

"Oh! Uh, er, give me a minute…" She jumped from the bed and grabbed the brush from Angelina. Her voice dropped to the lowest whisper possible" I thought you said add another ten minutes!" She waved the brush frighteningly close to Angelina's face .

"So I was slightly off. You think he heard me?" She hissed back, grabbing her shoes and heading towards the door.

"What are you doing?" Alicia grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back.

"Alicia are you ok in there?" George's voice carried through the door.

"Peachy, be right there…" Bringing her mouth next to Angelina's ear she ushered her towards the bathroom. " You can't go out into the hall. It will make things awkward. He'll think your gonna stop and listen at the door so he wont tell me what it is he needs to tell me."

"Alicia that's absurd! If George sees me coming out of here I'm pretty sure it will look normal seeing as I live in this room too! Ouch don't squeeze my arm so hard."

"I know how George feels about stuff like this and if he sees you out in the hall he's gonna think your spying on us and then he wont tell me!"

"All right, all right, so what do you suggest I do?"

"Hide in the bathroom." Alicia began pushing Angelina towards the bathroom door.

"What are you crazy! What if George has to use the bathroom?" Angelina put her hands up against the frame of the door in hopes that her leverage would stop Alicia's pushing.

"Hide in the shower behind the curtain."

"That's disgusting. I'd rather die then have to go through that…"

"Ok ok if he needs to use the bathroom I'll think up some excuse. Just hide in there please!"

" You owe me so much for this asinine idea of yours. I want you to know I- " But Alicia closed the door on her before she could finish the sentence.

Taking a much needed breath Alicia smoothed down her hair and headed for the door. This was finally it. She was going to finally tell George, her best friend, that she was in love with him.

Turning the doorknob she swung the door opened and tried to gather the courage to speak. Though the only thing she could manage to get out was rather pathetic .

" Hey"

"Uh, hey. Are you ok? Sounded like you were at war with something in here." George let himself into the room and took a quick look around. " Fighting with your teddy again?" He picked up the stuffed animal Angelina had thrown at her earlier.

"Heh, yeah." God she hated herself. " So…what did you need to talk about?" Getting right to the point was way easier then letting her suffer through mindless chit chat.

"You know you ought to get rid of some of these " He tossed the teddy back into the pile of other stuffed animals that sat on her bed. "your gonna come off sorta sissy."

"Sissy!" She folded her arms across her chest. "My teddy bears make me look sissy?"

"Well to be frank…yes."

"I'll show you sissy." With all of her might she took off and tackled him to her bed. Pinning him beneath her she stared down with a satisfied smile. " That's one for sissy me and none for oh so macho you."

"Alicia….you're crushing me…." He let out a breath and tried to move from beneath her.

"Calling me fat?"

"No it's just that your crushing my spleen." He bucked up and knocked her back. "Geez, what have you been eating Spinnet? Lead?"

"Your hilarious."

"I know, I know." He cleared his throat, before pulling her pillow from the head of her bed and tucking it under his chin. " So…"

"So what is it that you needed to talk about?" She was pretty sure her heart had just skipped across the Pacific ocean. Her hands were balled up as the sweat began to form. She sure hoped he didn't grasp her hands or anything.

"Leesh, its really not that easy to come right out and say." He ran his hand tentatively through his hair. " There's sort of a story that goes a long with it…did you hear that"

"Hear what?" She flickered her gaze towards the bathroom door.

"Eh, never mind. Point is that I can't really just come right out and say this. Its rather important and I really need to lay it all out on the table first."

"Uh huh, right, lay it out, go on then…" Could he torture her any longer?

" Alicia, we have certainly been through a lot of things together. I mean if I hadn't hexed you back in first year you would have never slipped that potion in my juice at breakfast and then we'd probably not be the closest of chums like we are now. "

" Yeah well you deserved it after that gross saliva hex. I could barely swallow fast enough before more filled my mouth. "She shuttered. It had taken nearly three hours before the hex wore off, and Prof. McGonagall made her lean over a bucket that entire time. She was surprised she didn't turn into a hunchback after that episode.

"But you looked so cute with that dribble pouring out of your piehole. Hey it was also the only way we could keep you quiet for a couple of hours. You and Angelina would barely shut up in the common room."

"And what did it matter if we were talking? You and Fred are louder then the entire Gryffindor house."

"Yeah but we were writing up some very serious pranks, and you kept breaking our concentration. "

"George!"

"What?"

"The important thing you needed to tell me…" She rolled her hand in front of his face as if to urge him onward.

"Oh right." He sighed. " I was just about to get to that…."

* * *

" Alicia sweetie take a deep breath." Angelina rubbed between Alicia's shoulder blades. " You are going to make yourself sick if you keep this up."

" Tat's sy or ou to ay…"

"Lici I cant hear you. Your face is pushed so far down into that pillow I fear you may swallow it."

"Tat's sy or ou to ay…"

As much as Angelina felt sorry for her friend, suffering through this language barrier was beginning to take a toll on her nerves.

"HONEY I CAN"T HEAR YOU WHEN YOUR FACE IS PUSHED IN THE PILLOW" Yeah, she could be brutally honest.

"Sorry." Alicia picked her body up and flopped onto her side. " I just cant believe he said those things to me. After all the time I have wasted thinking about this moment….it all just crashed down in less then ten minutes." Wiping the tears from her eyes she sighed.

"Leesh it's not worth it. He's not worth it. Don't waste your tears on a prat."

"That's easy for you to say, Fred and you have a relationship that can surpass this…George and I…" Her eyes flickered towards the picture on her night table. " We never had that kind of relationship."

"Honey he's doing this cause he's a good friend. He's doing this to help Harry." Angelina ran her fingers through her hair.

"But why did he have to say those things? Why did he have to be so cruel?"

That was one question Angelina couldn't answer. Actually she was surprised at the course words George had said to Alicia only moments ago. Her guess would have been a million years if someone had asked her if George had a cruel bone in his body. Now, well now she'd have to bite her tongue if someone asked that.

"Alicia, I cant tell you what George was thinking, but what I do know about him is how much he cares for you. He didn't want you waiting around for him, or wasting your talent by not pursuing your dreams. This was the only way he could keep you from letting your feelings make the wrong choices. He doesn't want you sticking around here just so you can be with him…he wants you to go on and have bigger and better things. " She shrugged. "Well at least that was the impression I got."

"But wont you miss Fred too? I mean he didn't even tell you what they were planning to do."

" Fred and I have our own warped agenda, and if things work out, well they will work out. He knows how I feel, and I know how he feels and that all that really matters Alicia. Though I will kill him if he does this and leaves Quidditch in a hole. " But Alicia's slumped shoulders only told Angelina that she wasn't convinced. "Lici, how was he looking at you when he said those things. Did it seem like he meant it? Did you really believe that he felt the way he said he did?"

That's when it hit her. He had said those things to keep her from staying behind for him. He had said it because he felt he couldn't offer her the world he thought she deserved. She was an idiot. Angelina was right after all.

"Oh god, what time is it?"

"Why?"

"He needs to know I understand. I need to see him before he goes. If he leaves without thinking I know…. If I cant tell him…" And with that Alicia jumped from her bed and flew through the door.

She had time. She just had to have time to get there. He had only left minutes ago and unless Fred had been waiting outside the door he would still be around. But when she reached the empty common room her heart sunk. Time was running out.

"Alicia wait up." She heard Angelina's voice behind her as she sailed through the portrait and out into the hall.

Where the hell could he be?

"Come on Terrence, hurry up. It's a riot. You should see Umbridge's face!" A tiny boy and his friend breezed by her and began taking the nearest staircase downstairs.

"Well that's convenient." And she followed.

The entrance hall was in an uproar when Alicia finally made it. What she had missed she could only imagine, but her only focus was the two figures that loomed above the entire crowd.

"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat." George yelled from above the crowd.

Alicia felt her heart clench as she frantically waved her arms in the arm. All she needed to do was get his attention for a brief second and he'd know how she felt. Then everything would be ok. Wouldn't it?

"Give her hell from us, Peeves." Fred added before turning his broom around.

"George! Please look at me! George!" But the crowd had sprang into more cheers and her words were lost behind the clapping.

George too, began to turn his broom towards the door, though his eyes wandered slowly through the crowd. As if he knew exactly where to look they locked briefly with a pair of hazel ones, and even though he couldn't hear her at all he could distinctly read 'I love you' spill from her lips before he rode off into the sunset without turning back.


	2. You're Invited

Well I must say I'm really impressed with myself. I wrote two chapters in two days. That doesn't happen often. Well I hope you all enjoy this transition chapter. Its not too exciting, but I promise it will get better.

****

Remember When

****

Chapter 2- You're Invited

_And so Eight years have managed to slip by..._

"Hey Spinnet! Your stupid owl delivered your mail to me again this morning." Beverly Clarke pounded at Alicia's bedroom door. "Either you wake up and claim it or face my wrath later."

"You are a terrible liar, Bev. You wouldn't dare hurt me you cause you'd risk the chance of breaking a nail." Alicia called groggily from the other side of the door.

"Try me…"

Now Beverly Clarke was normally a very tame and understanding person. However this could easily change if her sleeping patterns were disturbed. This seemed to be Achilles favorite past time.

"Ok ok don't get your knickers in a twist."

"Iswear that owl has it out for me, Alicia. Maybe if you paid some attention to _It_ instead of allowing _It _ to do as _It _pleases you'd have some control on it's damn behavior."

" 'It' has a name." Alicia yawned and opened the door to her bedroom. " And I'll have you know Achilles loves being able to come and go as he please." Letting her eyes travel up and down Beverly it only took a second before she burst into laughter. " Merlins beard, what the hell happened to you?"

For the eight years she had known Beverly it was almost a crime if you looked upon her when she wasn't dolled up. Now she stood before Alicia with her blonde hair tangled around her face and her makeup smudged around her eyes. Instead of the matching silk pajamas and robe combo she usually wore she sported an oversized muggle tee-shirt with the words 'Jacobs Clam Bar' embroidered on the front.

Beverly's teeth clenched "None of your nosey business!"

"Hey Bev, you get rid of that owl?"

Alicia quirked her eyebrow at the strange male voice.

"Bev?" Alicia folded her arms. " You brought a man home last night and didn't bother to share? I'm hurt." She chuckled again.

Thrusting Alicia's mail into her chest, Beverly scowled. " You have ruined my entire morning! God Alicia, you really need a good kick in the ass sometimes. You need to stop acting like a child and start acting like a mature twenty five year old! Take some goddamn responsibility and do something about your pathetic life!" With a spin she left a very shocked Alicia at the door.

Well that was a little more then uncalled for.

"The sex must not have been very good you bloody grouch!" She yelled out before slamming her bedroom door. " Bitch…" she muttered under her breath.

As much as Alicia enjoyed Beverly's company she wondered how the hell they had remained living together for eight years. They were two completely different ends of the wand. Beverly loved indulging herself on expensive things, she cried over anything remotely romantic, and breathed classical music. She always wore her perfect blond hair in a bloody perfect blonde bun. Her clothes always managed to remain wrinkle-free and spring fresh. It was nauseating.

Alicia on the other hand never lost her taste for practical jokes or rock and roll. She loved leaving her long dark hair wild in the wind and her favorite outfit consisted of her muggle jeans and a ratty old tank top. She hated cleaning anything and her room often looked as though a manticore tap danced through there. Still it was what she loved. She didn't have time for all that materialistic hoopla. There were bigger and better things out there for her to worry about. Her job for one.

"Oh bloody hell." She tried to dodge the clutter on her floor to reach her clock, but the trunk that was sticking out from beneath her bed was covered by the weeks worth of laundry she never got to. So it was only inevitable when she caught her foot on the edge of the trunk and went careening across the floor, the mail spilling from her arms. " Oh happy day…" She sighed, picking herself up from the tangled mess on the floor. She reached out with one hand for the clock while the other began to gather the mail.

8:24

She was twenty minutes late again. Warren was going to kill her.

This was the third time this week she had shown up late to the office. To make matters even worse she was still an article short for this months edition.

And maybe the fact that she had broken up with Warren a week ago didn't exactly help.

" Well I'm already late…another five minutes wont really hurt." Taking the mail to her bed she flopped across it onto her stomach "Lets see what the mail wants with my life today…"

Shuffling through the letters she casually tossed each aside as their unimportance was confirmed.

"Bill from the vet, not important. Letter from mum, boring. I'm sure she mentions marriage in there at least twice. Uh…bill from the Quidditch supply store. I forgot I ordered from there." She scrunched her nose. " Ugh bill for the apartment rent…why are there so many blasted bills? Letter for Miss Alicia Spinnet." Her eyebrow arched at the fancy scrawl on the front of the letter. Flipping it over she hoped she'd at least recognize the seal but frowned when she couldn't even place that. "This may be promising."

Maybe she won some sort of Magic Sweepstakes? Maybe she was the National Australian millionaire?

"Heh, yeah right." She chuckled.

And just as quickly she had become excited for the letter, her excitement fell just as rapidly.

Miss Alicia Spinnet,

You are cordially invited to attend the union of:

Frederick Weasley

And

Angelina Johnson

Eight years and they still found ways to torment her even though she was about three continents away.

As a personal friend of both the bride and groom you have been graced with the esteemed title of Maid of Honor.

She cursed rather loudly.

Time: Four O'clock on the 12th of October.

She looked over at the Puddlemere United day calendar. October September 27th.

" Oh bugger. 15 days. I'm glad they like to give ample time to decide." She shook her head.

Place: The Burrow

Why didn't she just take the knife from them and plunge it in her heart herself?

R.S.V.P: By September 27th Owl George Weasley with your response.

Her heart stopped. "Bloody hell…"

* * *

"So are you going to go home or not?"

Alicia had decided to make Beverly a nice breakfast after the mystery man left around nine. While she stirred her soupy eggs in the kitchen she explained to Beverly the letter she had received from home. Well mostly it was yelling since Beverly was two rooms over in the bathroom.

"I don't know. I mean there are reasons why I have stayed away for so long."

"Yeah but this Angelina, she is your friend right?"

A clump of eggs flew from the pan and hit the floor. She was never really much of a muggle chef. " My best friend. Granted I haven't seen her in years but she always managed to write me letters to keep me up to speed on everyone and everything."

Everyone except George.

"So you'd be insulting her by not attending the wedding. Besides you've been asked to be Maid of Honor. How could you refuse that kind of pampering."

Alicia winced. "Very easily." The soupy eggs began to resemble something sort of edible so she scooped a mushy pile onto two plates.

"Don't be silly, Alicia. You go to that wedding. You haven't been home in years! You haven't seen your family or friends. What could possibly be so awful that you need to remain hidden? Plus what the hell is keeping you here? The nonexistent article you've been working on for a month?"

"And Warren." She added with a yell.

"Alicia you broke up with Warren a week ago! You said yourself that you couldn't stand him anymore."

"Oh right." She shrugged " Well what I meant is that he needs me for the magazine. He said I was the best journalist he has ever had."

"It's called exaggeration sweety. He only wanted to shag you."

"We dated for six months! It wasn't just a shag!" She spooned a heaping pile of eggs into her mouth. She quickly spit them back out onto the plate. "Gross."

"What?"

" Nothing."

"Anyway Alicia." She heard Beverly mutter something about her eyeliner before she continued. " Yes you dated him for six months, but have you forgotten that he had two affairs while you were in such dating bliss?"

She fell suddenly quiet. " I know."

"Alicia you need to do what's best for you not what's best for Warren. Which reminds me, aren't you really late?"

"Yeah but I figured a few minutes more wouldn't hurt. It's not like I have much to do at the office anyway. Oh by the way…" She shuffled through the hall and stepped into the bathroom. " Let me try out a few excuses on you."

"You are ridiculous." Beverly placed her eyeliner down. " Go ahead…"

"Warren, I'm sorry I'm late but Achilles was sick."

"You used that last week." Beverly turned back to the vanity mirror.

"Blast!" She shook her fist. " Um, Warren I'm sorry I'm late, but I got off in the wrong fireplace on the floo?"

"Keep trying."

"Warren I'm sorry I'm late but my grandmamma died?"

"Alicia!"

"Sorry." She bit at her lower lip.

Shooting her a look of disapproval Beverly continued to cake her face with pounds of makeup. "You got yourself into this mess by being late. Just tell him the truth, what's the worst he could do?"

* * *

" Alicia I'm sorry but I'm going to have to let you go." Warren Willis sat smugly behind his desk.

"What do you mean you have to let me go!" Alicia slammed her hand down which accidentally knocked over a picture frame.

" I mean I'm tired of you coming in late all the time." He pointed to the calendar on his desk. " In this last month you've been late seven times. I'm sorry Alicia but I can't have that here anymore."

Her eyes narrowed. How could she have been so clueless as to date this bastard for so long. " I think there is more behind this then just my being late, Warren. I think you're ticked cause I broke things off."

"Come off it Alicia. I am doing a lot better without you in my life."

" Then why the hell are you doing this?"

"Because you have no talent and I'm tired of waiting around for you to get me the story I've been waiting for."

The words cut through her like a knife. " You don't mean that. You told me that I had talent. You told me that I was the best journalist you ever hired."

" How was I supposed to catch your attention? I doubt you would have looked at me if I said you were a looker but your writing was trash."

"You are such a prat." Gathering the box that held her belongings she sneered. " Good luck keeping your magazine up without me."

" I can already hear the cash flow increasing."

She didn't so much as turn around as she removed her wand and muttered something under her breath. It only took a second before Warren's skin had erupted in boils. "You stop right there you bitch. You come back here and you fix this."

"Sorry Warren, forgot you were a squib. Rather unfortunate that you can't fix it yourself. Its been fun."

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" He rose from his desk, the boils forcing his eyes to close.

"I'm going home, Warren." She sighed. " It's about time I go home."

Sorry if you were hoping that she'd be reunited with George this chapter, but I promise soon. It's gonna take a little time but it will happen…. Wont it? Mwahaha. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I get awfully down on myself about my stuff and it usually results in me scrapping the fic.


	3. Some Things Never Change

Hey everyone! Can you believe I've updated again already! I certainly can't. I guess it's cause Ive been super bored in class and this is keeping me mega occupied. Anyway I want to thank you guys for the reviews:

FizzingWhizbeez: Haha thanks for those little tips on chapter two. I didn't realize how sketchy it was.

magentabear: I don't know why, but I really liked the whole count down thing too. I'm glad you appreciated it cause I still don't know where I got the idea from, lol.

angelface04 : Yeah I really like Angelina in chapter 1. I plan on keeping her that crazed though out the entire fic so it should be interesting when the wedding starts to approach.

Will There Ever Be a Rainbow : Here's more so please read more! Thanks!

Gaelic Lover : I am dying to have them meet already, but the anticipation is way more fun.

satinzevi : I'm glad you like it, thanks for reading and reviewing!

Well that just about covers it. Leave me some love when your done reading and it will make me so hip hop happy. The next chapter will probably be up soon seeing as I have been writing like crazy during class.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the HP world. Just my own strange strange ideas.

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 3- Some Things Never Change

"Oi, Alicia! Over here!"

Alicia had barely collected her bags from the spinning table thing when she heard a voice she hadn't heard in years. Katie Bell stood a few feet away, her face beaming as though she had just won the Quidditch World Cup.

"Hey Katie!" but there was no time for her to get out anything else as Katie bolted over and wrapped her arms tightly around Alicia.

"For Merlins sake, Alicia, you look great." Katie squeezed tighter and Alicia gasped. "How long has it been, what eight years?"

"Katie love…" She breathed, " Could you tone down the reunion excitement cause I can't really breathe."

"Oh, right, sorry." She giggled and let go. "Ali oh gods, it is so wonderful to see you here. Oh my you havent changed at all. Well except for the suntan and the freckles and geez when did you sprout those perky little…"

"Katie!" Alicia chuckled. Katie Bell hadn't changed at all. Still the overly excited ball of energy she had left behind all those years ago. "You look good too, dear." Shifting the one satchel over her shoulder she smiled, "So can we get out of this airport I'm really wiped."

"Of course, of course. Come on I have my car parked outside." Taking the other bag of Alicia's she ushered the girl through the crowd and towards the door. " So how did you like your first muggle air flight? Exciting huh? Not like flying on a broom."

"Exciting?" Alicia dodged a crying little girl running past her. " That was not flying Katie. It was more like death torpedoing in a thirty foot metal tube. I must have dug my nails into the poor lady sitting next to me like twenty times."

"Oh I adore airplanes. It's flying without all that broomstick hassle. You just sit back and relax and let the good times roll."

"Yeah I let my lunch roll right onto the attendant on board. She wasn't so cheerful after that." Alicia grimaced.

The walk back to Katie's car had been everything Alicia expected it to be. Katie bombarded her with questions about Australia and Alicia tried to answer quickly before Katie burst out with another question. She explained the whole Warren situation and what it was like to live with Beverly for eight years, but most of all she tried to keep away from the topic of employment. Back when they were in Hogwarts writing had been her greatest passion besides Quidditch. To admit that she had been called a talent less writer burnt her heart probably more then anything. It was something she wasn't quite ready to admit.

"So Angie's been good about sending me a letter once a year or so. She always bugged me to come home but, well, I wasn't exactly ready for that yet." Alicia watched the trees whiz by as she stared out the window of the car. "Last one said you were balancing out your veterinary work while keeping your relationship with Lee a hush hush." Alicia smirked. "Hows that going?"

"Angelina never could keep her mouth shut." Katie chuckled and made a turn onto Jarvis Drive. "The veterinary work is going fine. Last week I had to treat a family dog that had been accidentally charmed to bark bubbles. Apparently the four year old daughter had found mummys wand sitting on the sofa. It reminded me of something Fred and George…would…do…"

Alicia felt her stomach drop. Well it was evident, wasn't it? She couldn't expect the conversations not to lead to him. Turning from the window Alicia caught a look of panic on Katie's face. The poor girl looked like she swallowed dung or something.

"It's ok Katie."

"Ali, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring him up." She turned the car again and began to roll down the window. "I tend to be stupid with things like that, ya know. The whole slip of the tongue thing never really matured. Katie Bell, apartment fourteen." She yelled at the little intercom outside the window. A large gate opened and she began driving again. " Mostly I just mess things up like that, but I really am sorry Alicia."

"It really is all right, Katie. Gods what do you think I'm going to do, hex you?"

"You used to."

"Oh right."

"Your not going to though, right?"

"Well I would be making up for eight years of lost hexing…"

"You're a bad liar."

"You're still a klutz."

"What!"

"Katie, the garbage pail!"

Her words came too late as Katie careened into the garbage pail in the middle of the lot.

"Oh bloody hell!"

It was certainly good to be home.

* * *

"Katie this apartment is great! It's huge! How do you manage to afford it? Does Lee live with you?" She giggled again as she propped up her feet on the coffee table.

After they had pried the garbage pail that had lodged itself into the front of Katie's car, the girls had gathered Alicia's things and headed up to Katies apartment. The place was nothing like the one she shared with Bev back in Australia. It was enormous, and Katie kept it looking like a bloody museum. A place for everything and everything in its sodding place.

Alicia had quickly thrown her bags into the spare room and peeled her travel clothes from her aching body. Who knew traveling could be so tiring? She opted for some cotton shorts and a comfortable white tank top and then joined Katie in the sitting room where a hot cup of ginger tea was waiting for her.

"No you prat. Lee does not live here. In fact our relationship, if you wish to call it that, is pretty much me begging him to join me at the movies. I swear the boy is romantically challenged." Katie sighed and took a sip of her own tea. " If he had it his way he'd spend his entire day at the blasted joke shop with those two twits." She sighed and rolled her eyes. " There I go again. I always know how to kill the mood and bring up the bad."

Alicia shook her head and giggled. "You need to stop feeling so damn guilty about it. It's really no big deal." Which was a lie because every time Katie made some sort of reference about him she felt like the entire world kept pushing down on her shoulders.

"Well then…."

Here it came.

"Did you owl him about the wedding?" She placed her tea cup down on the table. " I mean last I heard he had received almost all the responses back…except yours."

Slowly Alicia shook her head. " I decided I'd just surprise Angelina at the bridal shower tomorrow. I figured I wouldn't have to send any sort of response since I came right over once I got the invitation."

There was an awkward moment of silence between the two. Katie ran her fingers through her hair and Alicia sipped at her tea.

"He'll be glad to see you, ya know." There was a strain in Katie's voice.

"You didn't tell anyone I was coming here, right? It's still a secret?" While on the plane she had constantly tormented herself with thoughts of George. She wondered what he was doing, and if he still looked the same. She wondered what his favorite thing to do was, and if he still enjoyed joking around like he used to. Then she wondered if he had thought of her at all during the last eight years. Mostly because she had thought of him every night before falling asleep.

"No, I didn't spill a word." She paused. " Lee doesn't even know. Honestly I've been really good." Her eyes looked everywhere but Alicia.

* * *

"How can you be so certain that she's coming?" George Weasley tapped his finger on the bar signaling the man for another drink.

"Well when I asked Katie what she was doing today she wasn't paying attention and slipped that she was going to the airport." Lee Jordan down the rest of his own drink.

"Lee, mate, that could mean a million things. There are other people out there in the world."

"True, but when Katie slips something that's supposed to be secretive she immediately tries to cover it up. Unfortunately her cover-ups are supremely lame."

"And her great excuse was…

Lee chortled " She said she was going to pick up her friend Felicia."

* * *

"Actually Ali, I might have accidentally slipped that I was going to the airport today."

"What! Katie!"

* * *

George and Lee both wiped their eyes but they still couldn't control their laughter.

"And what did you say?"

Lee snorted back another chuckle and grasped the fresh glass of fire whiskey. "Are you kidding, I tormented her for nearly a hour with questions. I thought her head was going to explode."

* * *

"Katie, I told you not to say anything!"

" I know, I know. I'm really didn't say anything incriminating. I just sort of slipped to Lee that I was going to the airport."

"Geez Katie, what did he say?"

"Not much. He asked some questions, but I threw him off I think."

* * *

"I'm not saying I care or anything, but you think she's going to the bridal shower tomorrow?" George's eyes dropped down to the glass.

"Of course! Girls flock to these things in herds. They love these ridiculous excuses for parties. Though Alicia never was really the whole girly girl type. He brought the glass up to his lips but paused before he sipped. "But it's not like you care or anything." He rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Lee isn't stupid Katie! You better have come up with something good."

"Course I did." Katie's smile faltered slightly. " I told him I was picking up my friend Felicia."

Alicia slapped her hand to her forehead.

* * *

"You reckon she's still the same old Alicia?" George's eyes were still fixed on the glass.

"It's been eight years, man! What do you think?"

George sighed and a tiny smile appeared on his face. "She's still the same."

* * *

"Alicia…let…go…you're…choking…me." Katie tried to push off Alicia and the pillow she was holding down on her face.

"I can't believe you said Felicia! Felicia! Gods Katie why didn't you just go all out and say Felicia Spindle or something a little less obvious!"

"Alicia….you're killing me."

Alicia sat back. "If Lee blows this surprise for Angelina…" she shook her head.

"I'm sorry Ali. I didn't do it purposely. Maybe Lee didn't put it together." Alicia shot her a look. "Well I'm sure he wont say anything to anyone." Alicia glared at her again. " Ok, ok I give you permission to hex me."

Tucking her legs beneath her and curling into a ball, Alicia let out a long deep breath.

"It's no big deal, Katie." I just- I just didn't want George to know I was home."

"Alicia, what on earth could you be holding onto for eight years?" She waited for an answer but when the silence thickened she started in again. " Ali, it isn't healthy to hold onto a grudge for this long. I mean your twenty five and your acting like a twelve year old."

"Am not!" Alicia whined sarcastically.

"Hilarious." Katie frowned slightly and rose from the couch. " Look, I'm not saying that your wrong for being ticked at him, but don't you think its time to confront the situation?"

Pushing herself up onto her knees she bent over the back of the sofa and watched Katie pace back and forth. "You don't understand. I was ready seven years ago. I was ready to forgive him, but ya know what happened." Watching Katie pace began to make her feel nauseous so she turned away. " Not one bloody owl, not one visit, nothing! If he wanted to make up for the hurt he caused he had a chance but blew it!"

"Why didn't you initiate it? You could have owled him, you could have been the bigger person."

"I wasn't the one who broke his heart. He broke mine, remember?"

Silence again. Merlin she hated silence.

"Alicia?"

"How is he Katie?" The words had slipped so quietly from her lips that she wasn't even sure if she said it out loud.

"He's good. Same as he's always been."

"Uh huh."

"Didn't Angelina ever write anything about how he was doing?"

"No, I told her not to." She shifted her weight. " I just wanted to put him in my past."

"That's kind of heard to do when you grew up with the prat."

"What's he been up to Katie? I mean I'm terrified to even see him at this wedding. I need to know how things have been because I don't even know if I'll find the strength to talk."

Katie thought for a moment as she moved around the sofa to sit back down beside Alicia. " He still works with Fred at the shop. I mean since Hogwarts he's calmed down a bit. Not too much but its noticeable. There really isn't much to say about him. It has still been the five of us hanging around. Though Lee and George do like to hit the bars up a little more than often. Still he's George…drives most of us crazy."

"Has he - has he been seeing anyone? Not that it matters, really."

* * *

"So you've talked to Angelina about how Alicia's been doing right?" George shot a glance towards the door as though Alicia may walk in any second and hear their conversation.

"Yeah, she's spilled a bit of Ali info around. Nothing too serious. "

" So.." He rubbed his hand behind his neck. Thank Merlin he was semi drunk or else he'd never be asking this. " has she been seeing anyone in Australia?"

* * *

Katie bit her lower lip. What the hell was she supposed to do? Lie? No, Alicia would catch on and then try and suffocate her again. Best go with the truth then.

"Yeah he's been seeing girls here and there. I mean nothing was ever too serious." She twitched her nose. " Come to think of it I don't know if he was ever really into any of the girls he was seeing. It was like he never had his heart in it. He got to a lot of girls though, emotionally that is. " She shrugged. "He's just a heart breaker I suppose."

Alicia sighed. " I guess some things never change."

* * *

"Eh, I don't know much about the stuff, mate. I heard Angelina say she was dating some prat. Apparently she knew he was having an affair too but she was still staying with him. Too afraid to break it off I guess. " He shrugged. " Poor Ali's trying to play tough with an obvious broken heart.

George gave a nod. " Some things never change."


	4. Here's to Tonight

So who saw the GoF trailer? I did and have watched it like four thousand times since then! I am so incredibly excited for that movie to come out. It looks amazing! Ok well that's enough of my rambling. Again I want to thank you guys for your reviews. It really is awesome to get feedback from you.

Lady Mione: Thanks for your kind words. It's always awesome to find more G/A shippers!

FizzingWhizbeez : Yeah Katie just tends to mess things up. You'll notice that as the fic continues to go on. She means well though!

Jagged Epiphany : I am really honored that you read my fic. I love your fics so when I saw that you reviewed mine I was ecstatic. I'm glad you like it so far. Thanks for making my day!

satinzevi: I hope this was soon enough ;)

Twisted Little Star : It seems as though that Felicia line was a huge hit. I'm glad it made you laugh. Thanks for the review!

Well well well that's enough thankies for now. Lets move on to the next chapter!

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 4- Here's to Tonight

"Can I get another drink please?" George urged the bartender as he pushed a bit of money towards him. " And do make it strong."

It had cost him a pretty penny to book the bridal shower at The Silver Magnolia, but it was worth it he supposed. Angelina, was after all, just like a sister to him. Since she didn't have any sisters or brothers of her own, and her parents had moved to the States, George felt like it was the right thing to do to pay for the party. So now all he was obligated to do was sit back, relax, abuse the open bar, and wait.

The waiting was killing him.

"How is my very generous brother doing this evening?" Fred slapped his hand down on George's shoulder causing George to jump slightly.

"Wishing I had brought some of our dissolving canary creams. Merlin, I'd love to see the look on Angelina's face." George chuckled. "Imagine it if you will. They all toast to the future bride and then…" He slapped his hand down on the bar. " Canaries everywhere."

"Yeah, hilarious. Remember you don't have to go home with her." Fred shook his head and pulled himself up on the stool beside his brother. " Plus Ginny's here and I don't like being on the receiving end of one of her blistering boil hexes." Fred winced in memory of the last time he had made Ginny angry.

"So is Bridzilla having a good time? Seems as though she hasn't stopped running that mouth of hers since she got here."

Fred gave a slight nod. " Well she seems to be having a nice time. Then again she's likely to-"

" Bite someone's head off at any give second?"

"Precisely."

"It's what Bridzilla's do."

"Naturally." Fred chuckled. "Speaking of which, can we leave yet? I don't feel very safe with all this estrogen around me."

George sighed, gave a nod to the bartender as his drink arrived, and then downed the drink in one shot. " I just want to wait until Katie gets here."

"You'll become an alcoholic at the rate your drinking." He looked over his shoulder and stole a glance at his future bride. " Come on, George. Angie seems happy, mum looks ecstatic, and I'm pretty sure Ginny has been crying for the last half hour. " He shrugged. "What's the big deal if we leave before Katie gets here? We see her at least three times a week."

George felt a pang of guilt not telling Fred that Alicia was supposedly coming. However he had good reason to suspect that if he did say something Fred would get in one of his moods and start cracking jokes that George wasn't ready to handle. So he just took the easy way out. " Katie said she had a surprise."

" A surprise from Katie is probably as exciting as a zit on a pubescent teen. Come on lets just go."

"No."

From the corner of his eye George was certain that Fred's eyes had gone a little wide. " Did you just say no to me? Your other half? The blood of your blood? The peanut butter to your jelly?"

George shot him a perplexed look. "What?"

"Another round of drinks then?" Fred suggested.

"That's the spirit."

"For Merlin's sake I've never seen more savages in one place!" Lee came from behind them and found the empty seat next to George.

"Yeah they get nutty at these things." Fred shook his head. " Lee, mate, where in bloody hell is Katie? I mean we know she can be awfully forgetful, but this is getting ridiculous." He rolled his eyes. "And Georgie over here wont leave until she arrives."

"Oh really?" Lee shot George a look. "I'm sure she'll be here soon. You know Katie, I bet she went to the wrong place or something. Give her a few minutes. She'll be here."

George felt his eyes wander towards the door. The waiting was killing him, but he had waited eight years for this moment. A few more minutes of waiting seemed like a simple price to pay.

* * *

"Alicia calm down your going to give yourself a heart attack." Katie held firmly onto Alicia's hand as they arrived in the lobby of the hall.

It took almost an hour to convince Alicia that everything would be fine, but by the time they were ready to go Katie had realized they were already very late. Alicia definitely wasn't in the correct state of mind to apparate so Katie found a bit of floo powder and forced Alicia into the fireplace. Alicia had been stammering so much she was surprised she made it to the Magnolia without a problem.

"Katie, I can't do this. I just can't. I don't even know why I'm so nervous but I can't stop shaking." She bit down on her lower lip. "Are you sure George isn't going to be here. I mean, I'm really not ready to face him, and I don't want to screw up Angelina's day."

"Excuse me sir, but we are here for the Johnson bridal shower. Can you direct us?" Katie nodded as the man in the very dashing suit pointed down the hall. Katie sighed, and pulled Alicia around the corner and down the corridor. " You are not going to ruin anything! First of all it's a bridal shower. Behind that door are fifteen women watching Angelina open presents, probably crying, and eating a lot of chocolate."

"But what if no one wants to see me?"

Katie halted in her steps. "Hello Alicia, are you in there today?" She tapped her hand against Alicia's forehead. " This is going to be the best present Angie's likely to get all day."

Alicia gasped. "Oh Katie we forgot presents!"

"Actually…" Katie scrunched her nose. "I kinda figured I'd use you as my present."

"Well what the hell am I supposed to do? Katie I can't believe you let me forget a present. For the love of Merlin! Why I could just kill you."

"Now there's the normal Alicia I know. Anger and threats, gotta love it." Katie pulled her on down the hall. "Come on."

"Wait wait…" She let go of Katie's hand and rushed over to a small table that sat against the wall. It was topped with a beautiful vase full of blooming magnolias. "I hope this will satisfy her for the time being."

"Eh, Angie is going to be too preoccupied crying over your arrival to even notice. Well here we are." Katie strolled up to the last door down the corridor. "On the other side of this door sits someone who is going to die when they see you!" She grinned.

"How do I look, do I look alright." She flattened down her dark brown hair with her free hand.

"You look fine. Actually I'm glad you changed out of that dreadful tee-shirt and jeans combo. I think if anything Angelina would have been pissed you wore such an informal ensemble to her party."

Alicia's eyes dropped to the deep blue dress she had borrowed from Katie. She had felt like an idiot when Katie told her to put it on. She hated dresses with an incredible passion. Still this dress wasn't quite so bad. In fact she liked the way it looked on her a lot. The straps were very thin, and almost non existent while the top squared off right above her breasts. The body was very straight and clung to her curves quite nicely, and if Katie hadn't pointed it out yesterday she wouldn't have taken notice to how nice the material accentuated her chest. However jeans and a tee-shirt would have made her feel less like a streetwalker right about now.

Katie was wearing almost an identical dress to Alicia's only hers was a soft pink and not so clingy. She also wore a lacy shawl over her shoulders, and Alicia cursed silently to herself wishing she had grabbed a shawl too.

"Ok, look. There are about fifteen people in there which include Angelina, Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Hermione Granger. As for the rest of them, well I think they are mostly Angelina's co-workers from the Ministry."

Alicia took a very deep breath.

"I'll go in there first and tell everyone that I have a huge surprise, or something like that, ya know?"

Alicia nodded.

"Then all you have to do is walk in and be your oh so charming self. " Katie gave her arm a reassuring rub. "I promise everything will be fine. This is going to be one hell of a day." Katie grinned. "Well… here we go."

"Here we go."

* * *

"Oh and these are the sheets I wanted! Pure Egyptian silk! Hermione you shouldn't have!"

"I had Ron pick them up for me when he was playing The Runes last week. I knew you'd love them." She took a sip of her tea.

The door to the ballroom opened and everyone's eyes shot in it's direction. Angelina was holding a box of bed sheets over her head when she saw Katie. Quickly she dropped them to the floor and stood up.

Fred cringed. "Bridzilla strikes again." He whispered.

"Where the hell have you been? Your supposed to be one of my best friends and you are over an hour late!"

"Don't take that from her Katie! Give her hell!" Lee called from across the room.

"Shut up, Lee!" Angelina growled back.

Katie moved her eyes across the room towards Lee. Sometimes she really loved the guy, but when her eyes found him her smile faltered. "Oh shit." Her eyes went wide when she took in the form sitting next to Lee. They weren't supposed to be here.

"What is it, Katie love? You look like a kneazle's got your tongue."

"I- I- I- I …"

Katie's eyes remained locked on George. Alicia was going to kill her. No, forget kill her. Alicia was going to slowly torture her and then if she was lucky she would kill her.

"Katie, are you going to come join us, or are you going to stand there and babble nonsense at those idiots all day?" Angelina placed the bed sheets down and grabbed the next box from Mrs. Weasley.

"Yes yes dear, come sit down. Join the girls for a bit of fun." Molly waved her hand and tapped the vacant chair next to her.

"Uh, well, Angie." Katie nervously began to play with her hair.

"What?" Angelina quirked her eyebrow.

Shaking her head Katie tried to place the smile back on her face. "Heh, well I -" Clearing her throat she continued. " Well the reason I was late is kind of important. You see I was on my way here when I ran into someone. I figured since I didn't have a gift for you I'd just bring this person along…" Katie pushed the door open and gave a nod for Alicia to come in.

"Ta da!" Alicia popped inside the room with her arms held wide open. Then she saw him. The flowers she was holding in her right hand fell to the floor with a thud.

The room went silent.

Slowly Alicia lowered her arms and lowered her eyes. "Uh hey everyone."

Katie coughed uncomfortably. Angelina, Fred and even Ginny turned their eyes towards George in what seemed like slow motion. For that single solitary moment it seemed as though time had completely stopped.

"Felicia!" Lee jumped from the stool and grinned. "We were wondering when you'd get here." He gave George a hard slap on the shoulder.

Alicia shot Katie the dirtiest look possible. She was definitely going to kill her.

We will find out what else happens at the bridal party in the next chapter. I've been dying to have George and Alicia talk but I figure I can wait one more chapter. However I PROMISE that they will be reuinited in chapter 5.

Ya know what would be super awesome…. If you guys pushed that little button and left me a review! You guys are the best! Thanks!


	5. It's Been a Long Time Coming

Well its time again to give some special thanks to you guys:

satinzevi: I'm glad it gave you a laugh. It made me chuckle as well.

person56: Angelina will definitely be talking a lot more as the fic goes on. I hope she spoke enough for you in this one.

FizzingWhizbeez: Yeah Katie definitely has a habit of making things go boom.

Jagged Epiphany: I was doing so well getting the chapters up fast, but now with finals coming up I sorta lacked. Sorry about the little cliffy but hehehe I love them!

Lady Mione: Well they meet!

Twisted Little Star : Yeah I love torturing Alicia with nasty surprises! It's so fun!

I really don't know how to thank you guys enough for reviewing. It's so awesome to read what you think and it definitely gives me the encouragement to update as fast as I can. Thanks so much and please keep them coming!

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 5 - It's Been A Long Time Coming

Angelina shot Lee a very confused look. Lee just shrugged, sat back down next to George, and both tried to refrain from laughing.

"Ali?" Angelina stepped over a pile of wrapping paper.

More awkward silence.

"Sweet Mother of Merlin!" Angelina bolted across the room and took Alicia in her arms. " I didn't think you'd come! Oh you insufferable prat, why didn't you owl me?"

Alicia closed her eyes as she held Angelina. Though she had been away for a considerable amount of time it felt like she had never left.

"I didn't get the invite until a few days ago." She pulled away but let her hands rest on Angelina's shoulders. " Plus I figured surprising the hell out of you would be way better." She grinned.

"You are such a prat."

Alicia curtsied. " Why thank you."

"Come on, come on! Sit down by me! Oh sorry Katie I didn't mean to leave you out." She took both girls by the wrist. " I'm opening presents and then we are going to cake and now that you are here Alicia, we can really catch up and Oh! Are those flowers for me? You shouldn't have Ali! Hey Katie where's your gift? Geez late and present less what a friend."

"Bloody hell."

"What was that Frederick?"

"Nothing sweet love of my life."

Alicia muffled her own laughter, her gaze still managing to avoid the bar. It felt so wonderful to be home but at the same time she was completely terrified. Eight years could certainly mean a lot of things to some people and she just hoped that she didn't screw things up her second night back.

Molly Weasley rose from her chair and opened her arms. "Alicia, dear, come give me a hug."

"Hey Mrs. Weasley." Alicia smiled softly and found comfort in the woman's embrace.

"Oh, Alicia it's been so long! Heavens last time I saw you was the summer before your seventh year." Molly ran her hand over Alicia's face. " My how you have grown! You used to be such a spry little bit and now, well you are still a little bit but with a womans charm." She chuckled.

"You haven't changed at all." Alicia slipped in a chair between Molly and Ginny.

"Oh dear I doubt many of these wrinkles were here last time I saw you."

"You are stunning as always, Mrs. Weasley." Alicia grinned and settled back into the chair as Angelina reached for her next gift.

"That's from me!" Lee called out.

"Would you three get out of here!"

"Open my present first."

"If I open it will you leave?"

"Depends. Georgie was the one who coughed up the dough for this shin dig. I'll leave when he does."

"George!"

"We will leave. Just open Lee's present before he has an aneurysm." George shot Lee a stern look.

Angelina let out a noise that sounded much like a cow going into labor. Reluctantly she undid the ribbon and tossed it aside. Before removing the wrapping she paused.

"Nothing's gonna bite me when I open this, right?" Her brown eyes glared intently across the room, but since Lee's dreadlocks covered his eyes Angelina couldn't tell if they were being truthful.

"No biting." He held his right hand up in the air. " I promise."

Angelina studied him a second longer in hopes that she'd be able to catch whether or not it was the truth. When he didn't chuckle or make any sudden movements to back away she smirked and tore into the gift.

George cringed.

Fred cringed.

Even Katie and Alicia cringed.

Lee, however, just remained smiling.

There was a bright, practically blinding, light and then a sharp ringing noise before anyone heard Angelina screamed.

"Lee Jordan what the hell did you do to me?"

The light dimmed and Alicia threw her hand over her mouth. Angelina's face had gone from the usual chocolate brown to a burnt reddish color.

"I thought maybe you'd like to be tan for you wedding photos. Katie said all girls like to have a bit of color on their wedding day."

A seething Angelina turned towards Katie. Katie just shook her head back and forth so rapidly that Alicia thought it was going to fly off her shoulders.

"So I made that sun-tan-in-a-box." Lee puffed out his chest as though it was the greatest charm he ever thought of.

Angelina's breathing had grown terribly heavy. "Have you failed to notice that I'm black you twit!" Her whole body shook. "Lee you are absolutely impossible! Why in the world would I need a tan? Gods you ruined everything! This better fade away before the wedding!" She choked back a cry.

"Come on dear, lets go wash your face." Molly took her by the arm and escorted her towards the bathroom.

"Sheesh, she is so ungrateful." Lee snuffed. "Ow! What the hell was that for? " He glared at Fred as he rubbed the sore spot on his arm.

"Whatever crap I get tonight from her you get twice that from me tomorrow." He grumbled. "And you…" He turned towards a chuckling George. "Don't think you get out of this either. I'm sure you knew about this."

"Honestly I had no idea. Like I can read Lee's warped mind." George waved his hand towards a grinning Lee.

"Right." Fred gave a nod indicating the people behind them. " Just like I'm sure you had no idea that Katie was bringing Alicia."

"Don't get into this Fred." George warned.

"Yeah yeah yeah…wouldn't want to hurt your precious ego." He shook his head and left a very disturbed George at the bar.

"So what's Australia like?" Ginny's eyes were wide with wonder. " Did you have a kangaroo as a pet?"

Alicia stood around the opened presents with Katie, Ginny and Hermione. She had been tempted to go with Angelina and Molly but her common sense caught the best of her.

"No kangaroo's as pets, but I know a guy who had a tamed koala."

"Think you could smuggle one back here for me?" Ginny tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear.

"I don't think international affairs would let it happen." She watched Ginny frown. " But I could always try."

Ginny perked up immediately. "Alicia you always were the absolute best!"

Alicia had always regarded Ginny as a younger sister. When they were younger and Alicia had spent her holidays at the Burrow the two girls spent hours together. The age gap never seemed to bother them and they often found ways to play jokes on the boys, annoying Angelina when she came by and Alicia even helped her with her Quidditch skills. Alicia loved Ginny's energy and wasn't surprised when she mentioned taking a position with Charlie in Romania.

"You excited about it?" Alicia toyed with the strap of her dress.

"Oh yes, extremely! Charlie keeps telling me all these amazing stories! I can't wait." She pushed up on her toes and bounced excitedly.

Giving a tiny shrug Alicia shifted her weight. "I can't believe your growing up and moving away. I mean I definitely thought you'd be married to Harry with two kids, a cat and a dog by now."

Hermione croaked out a laugh, but when Ginny shot her a sideways glance she stopped.

"Ali, I was over Harry about ten years ago!"

"Besides she's got the heart of another boy wonder." Fred had appeared beside Hermione.

"Really?" Alicia quirked her eyebrow and gave Ginny a shove. " Who?"

"Gin's dating Neville Longbottom. She couldn't get enough of him after he helped Harry defeat You-Know-Who."

"Shut up Fred! That's- that's- " She huffed, gave Fred a shove and then stormed off. Hermione gave him a very disappointed look and followed after Ginny with Katie on her heels.

"Ya know what kills me…I actually feel disappointed when she looks at me like that." He smirked. "Hey Lici." He picked her up and administered a back breaking hug.

"Frederick Weasley, gods how I missed you!"

"Do you understand how many years of pranking I have missed out on you?" He placed her down.

"Seems as though you've been making up for it with Ginny." Alicia pointed across the room to a very angry Ginny.

"Eh, she'll get over it." Fred scrunched his nose when Ginny tossed him the finger. " Besides she always forgets about how much I poke fun at her relationship when I bring up Angelina's old relationship."

Alicia furrowed her brow. " What do you mean 'old relationship' ? I thought you two got together right out of Hogwarts?"

"Actually it wasn't right away. Ang was still a little ticked that we had left the team in such a hole." He grinned.

"So when she started at the Ministry she tried to make me jealous."

"Wow, she never wrote me that." Alicia ran her fingers through a piece of her hair. " Who'd she date then?"

Fred chuckled and leaned in a bit closer. "Percy."

"What!" Three quarters of the women in the room turned and glared at Alicia.

"She got close to him when she started there and when she saw I was dating some girl from around town she latched on to Percy."

The notion of Angelina dating Percy was so hilarious that Alicia stumbled back and fell against the wall. Tears immediately began pouring from her eyes and her breathing was short and masked by the laughter. She made every effort to try and speak, but the humor was still far too much for her to handle.

Angelina, on the other hand, had emerged from the bathroom with Mrs. Weasley. Once she heard the laughter from across the room she halted. She knew that kind of laughter. Fred had just told Alicia about Percy. That information caused that kind of reaction constantly. Angelina swept across the room, her eyes coming to stop on Fred.

"You didn't?" She stomped her foot.

" I did." He grinned.

Alicia, still in hysterics, clutched her stomach. "You didn't!"

Angelina sighed. " I did." The regret oozed, and then for another ten minutes Alicia held her stomach as she laughed.

"Ok, you can stop laughing now." Angelina crossed her arms over her chest.

"But Percy?" Alicia held onto Fred's arm to keep herself balanced.

"I know, I know…laugh it up. This is why I never told you about it."

"So you thought you'd make Fred jealous? Did it work? Were you terribly jealous of Percy, Fred?" She chuckled.

" Honestly I just felt bad for her so I asked her for a drink one night and she just threw herself at me."

Alicia howled out another cry of laughter and Angelina slapped Fred on the arm. Fred continued to grin like an idiot.

"Hey are we talking about Ang and Percy?" Lee sauntered over from the bar. "Ang this cake is delicious! Nice choice."

Angelina's head turned slowly in Lee's direction. "What cake, Lee?" She said through grit teeth. " I didn't cut the cake yet."

"Whoops."

"I'll give you a five second head start."

"Well its been fun." Lee took off across the room and out the door with Angelina right on his heels.

"Lee's going to get himself killed." Alicia took a calming breath.

"Nah. It's normal. Angelina threatens to kill him at least four times a week." Fred cleared his throat. "So Angie's filled me in one some of your Australian antics. You like it there?"

"Yeah it's really nice. I can't really complain." She bit her lower lip.

"She let me read the last letter you sent a few months ago. Still serious with that Warren guy?"

Her stomach dropped. "Actually I'm not with Warren anymore. Things got…well they really weren't sugar quills and chocolate frogs."

Fred shifted uncomfortably. " Man, I'm sorry Lici. Well at least you've got your writing. How's the job going?"

"Uh ya know. The same as always." Taking a step back she turned towards the bar. " I'm going to go get a drink. I'll be back in a minute."

Fred gave a silent nod. He didn't mean to make things awkward but how the hell was he supposed to know?

"You bring up Warren?" Katie stepped to Fred's side.

"How'd ya know?" They both watched Alicia head for the bar.

"Every I bring it up she runs in the opposite direction. I guess she doesn't want to talk about it." Katie gave a tiny shrug. " But I don't think she's pissed at you or anything."

"Eh, she will be."

"Why?"

Fred pointed towards the bar and Katie groaned.

* * *

Alicia moved across the room towards the bar. If her head hadn't been clogged by Fred's questioning she would have realized her mistake. Now she stood at the counter with a pang of dread in her stomach. George was staring at her from directly across the bar. Their glances became like a childs game. First Alicia would avert her gaze while George bore his eyes intently on her. Alicia turned her head to steal a glimpse, and quickly George turned away while Alicia stared back at him. The silent staring continued for what seemed like hours until Alicia finally broke the eight years of silence.

"What?"

George drummed his fingers nervously on the bar top. "Nothing."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Great."

"Grand."

"Stop!" She shot him an angry look.

"You started it."

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

Leaning over the bar her words hissed through her teeth. "You are such a child!"

He was close to retorting with an 'am not' but stopped himself. Instead he pushed aside the feelings of taunting her and tried to change the subject. "You look good Leesh."

"Don't call me that." Her voice was so low that she couldn't even be sure that he heard her.

"Your still hung up on all that stuff that happened years ago, aren't you?"

"Stuff? Stuff!" She slammed her hand down on the bar. "What happened eight years ago wasn't just 'stuff'!"

George frowned. This was not how he imagined their reunion. "Oh come on Alicia! Your telling me that you haven't gotten over it? Still harping on the past…" He shook his head.

"And why do you think that? Did you ever come and try and to fix it? You never came to see me, you never owled. How was I supposed to forgive you when you never even made an effort!"

George stood, stormed around the bar and came to a halt beside her. Alicia felt the heat rise to her cheeks. He was so close to her but at the same time he was just a million miles away.

"Why was it only on my shoulders?" He was so close to her that his body ached. " You could have done something, Alicia. You could have come to me!"

"And give you that satisfaction? Your still so selfish, George." She just wanted to touch him but the voice inside her head kept her from doing so. "Have you forgotten what you said to me? Have you forgotten how cruel you were?"

George's eyes dropped to the floor in guilt. " That was a long time ago Alicia."

For the first time in eight years Alicia reached out and lifted his chin. She had touched him so often in her dreams but this feeling of warm flesh on flesh sent a surge of panic through her. Her hand rested on his chin for a moment and when his eyes finally lifted to meet hers she let go.

Her voice lay flat of emotion and she pushed to keep her tears from falling. "Time does not erase memories, George." And without another word she turned from him and walked out of the room.

Across the room they watched George's shoulders slump. "Looks like that went rather well." Fred arched his eyebrow and Katie gave a small sigh beside him.

* * *

Chapter 6 will be up soon. Angelina will have a pleasant surprise for Alicia mwhahahaha!

Thanks in advance for the reviews!


	6. Letters and Interviews

Did anyone notice that they finally put Alicia in the search character box? I have been waiting for them to do that for YEARS! It's about time, geez! Ok time for thank you's.

Jagged Epiphany : I've always liked Lee a lot too. He always strikes me as the guy who just says and does the dumbest things. I cant wait for you to finish up Old Faces. I'm itching for that to finally come about.

Gaelic Lover: Im glad that I gave you something fun to read while your exams are going on. I know how stressful that can be. My final one is tomorrow and I can't wait for it to be over.

satinzevi89 : Thanks for the constant reviews! It makes me very very happy!

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 6 - Letters and Interviews

Alicia was miserable. George had completely ruined the bridal party for her. She had become so irate after storming out of the room that Katie begged to take her home. That only made Alicia angrier because now Katie was losing out on the party. After a much needed debate with Katie, she had convinced the girl to stay while she went back to the apartment. By the time she arrived home she was pretty sure she had spilled all the tears she had, but it didn't stop her from crying herself to sleep.

Now, after sleeping most of the morning away, Angelina had come by with more awful news. No, it wasn't just awful news, but perhaps the worst news ever.

"Look Alicia if it's such a big deal I'll have something worked out." Angelina paced back and forth across Katie's apartment.

"You could just give it to Katie." She jumped from the sofa. " In fact I'll go to the hospital right now and tell her the great news. "

"Sit!" Angelina pointed to the couch and Alicia reluctantly obliged. " Now as much as I love Katie she isn't you, Ali." She sat down beside her. "If you wont be my maid of honor then I don't want one. The best man can walk down the aisle by himself."

"Now you are just making me feel guilty."

"Is it working?" Angelina smirked.

A long sigh escaped her. " It's not like I don't want to be the maid of honor, but the thought of walking down the aisle with George….I don't want to ruin your wedding, Angie."

"Pathetic."

"What?"

"You and George are pathetic." Angelina just shrugged casually.

"Hey!" Alicia glared. "I think I have valid reasons for my actions."

"Yeah, you enjoy being an overdramatic child."

"That's real low, Angelina." She sat back in the sofa and crossed her arms. " You know it goes a lot deeper then that. You were there."

Angelina wrung her hands together. " I know" she began quietly, " I'm sorry Leesh. It's just that I don't do the whole grudge thing very well. Sure I was pissed at Fred for awhile way back when, but I got over it quick." Wiping her hand over her face she continued. " And I get ticked at Lee everyday, but the next day it's like it all resets and we start over. I guess what I'm getting at is I just don't know how you do it while you still love him."

Alicia's body tensed. "Uh, come again?" She held her hand to her ear. " I'm not sure I heard you right." Her voice boomed. "Cause I'm pretty sure you just said that I still loved that loathsome, piece of flobberworm goo!"

"That's mature Alicia, what are you twelve?"

"I'm reaching for my wand now…"

"You both still act like we're in our second year."

"I've perfected my hexing…"

"You used to tease each other relentlessly and then moon after each other in the privacy of your own dorms."

Alicia leaned closer to Angelina and shouted "My wand is in my hand!"

"You still fancy the red-headed idiot even if you cant admit it!" She shouted back.

"I do not!" She waved her wand manically in the air.

"Frightening Ali…" Angelina rolled her eyes. "Fine you don't fancy him. But then why'd you turn three shades of red when you argued with him last night?" Angelina smiled coyly.

Alicia stammered. " I was angry with him, you twit!"

A soft chuckle filled the room. "Denial is so unattractive, Leesh."

"Sod off, Angelina."

A tap on the window caused both girls to pause. Angelina's gray and black owl, Quaffle, fluttered on the other side of the glass. Angelina sprang from the couch and opened the window just enough for Quaffle to enter.

"Hey girl." She held out her arm and Quaffle perched upon it with a hoot. " I was hoping she'd be back with an answer." Angelina grinned and took the rolled up parchment from Quaffles leg.

"An answer to what?"

Angelina didn't answer as she undid the tie and began reading. Normally Alicia wouldn't have given a bloody damn about was in the letter, but the strange smile on Angelina's face didn't make her feel good at all.

"What?" Alicia raised an eyebrow as Angelina began giggling manically.

"I just did you the greatest favor on earth."

"If this has anything to do with George I'll…"

"Get off the sodding George bit, would you?" Angelina jumped back down onto the couch and pulled herself closer to her best friend. " Besides it has nothing to do with Georgie."

Alicia shot her a stern look. "Should I be nervous?"

"Depends, do you trust me?"

"That opens up a lot of questioning memories…" Alicia grinned and Angelina gave her a slap on the arm.

"I'm serious, prat." Angelina handed over the letter. " I know how great things are going with work and all, but I figured while you were here you could check this out."

Alicia's eyes skimmed over the contents of the letter and she placed down her wand in order to hold it in both hands.

Angelina J,

It really was a surprise to hear from you. After the last comment I had made about the scandal within the Department of Magical Games and Sports I thought you'd never speak to me again. I'm glad you have accepted my apology on the issue. Plus I never thought they'd actually print the bloody thing.

Now concerning your request, I think I can manage another interview of sorts. I promise that this time I wont make any vulgar comments about you or your profession. Tell your friend to meet me at The Light Café at around three this afternoon. I have some spare time and I always enjoy meeting people from other countries. Heck I've been traveling with Puddlemere so much that I've almost forgotten what it was like to hold a civilized conversation with another human being.

Thanks again and I'll be in touch with you soon. Tell Fred and the others that I extend a hello.

Sincerely

Oliver W.

Alicia swallowed.

Angelina grinned.

Alicia put the letter down.

Angelina began to scream as Alicia jumped on top of her and began shaking her erratically. " You set me up with Wood!"

"I didn't set you up! I just got you an interview with the most eligible bachelor in Witch Weekly."

Alicia paused and then started shaking Angelina again. " I can't interview Oliver!"

"Why not…" Angelina coughed out through the shaking.

"Because I just cant!"

"Why…do you fancy him too?" Angelina tried to giggle but Alicia was cutting off her air intake.

"No you wanker because I was fired and I don't have a paper to interview for!"

"What?"

Dropping Angelina down Alicia covered her face with her hands. "Warren fired me after I broke up with him. He said I was a talent less writer and didn't even want to hire me in the first place."

Angelina's lips formed the word 'oh'.

Alicia groaned and threw her body down on the sofa. Pulling a pillow over her face she began to mumble.

"Oh no we are definitely not going there again." Angelina ripped the pillow from Alicia and tossed it across the room. "We are going to discuss this like _civilized _people."

Alicia cringed at the way Angelina said civilized. It was like she was suggesting Alicia was some sort of beast. Which wasn't that outlandish when she thought of her behavior sometimes.

"Discuss what, Angelina? You just set me up on an interview with Captain Blood, and I have no paper to put the interview in!" She balled her fists in fury. "And it's not like I can tell him I'm out of a job because its Wood for Merlin's sake. Remember all the harassing he used to give me for saying I wanted to become a writer instead of a Quidditch player? He wouldn't let me live it down!"

"So we bend the truth slightly…" Angelina tapped her finger nervously to her lip. " I mean he's not gonna fly down to Australia to see the article. So tell him that you are going to give the interview in when you get home but you don't plan to go home for another month or so. By that time he'll be so involved with the season again that he wont even realize it never published."

"It wont work."

"Why bloody not?"

"Cause these things don't work out for me!" She curled up and brought her knees into her chest. " How come you have to do stupid things like this? Why couldn't you just let me sit here and mope for the next two weeks."

"Cause Wood is hot and single and I think you need to get your mind off George!"

"Ha!" She snapped up and pointed her finger in Angelina's face. " I knew you did it for reasons other then an interview!"

"Well of course I did. Hell have you seen the pictures of him lately in Witch Weekly?" Angelina got up from the couch and began rummaging through a pile of magazines stacked under Katie's coffee table.

Alicia scrunched her nose. "Look I'm the first to admit that Wood was easy on the eyes during Hogwarts days but how much could he have possibly change oh my sweet mother of Merlin…." Her eyes nearly jumped from their sockets when she took the magazine from Angelina. " He's - he's - he's "

"A bloody god."

"Does Fred know you think so highly of our former Quidditch captain?" Alicia kept her eyes glued to the picture of Oliver.

"It's ok I know he's got pictures of Fleur somewhere in his flat." She paused. " Which is so disturbing considering she's married to Bill."

The chime of the old grandfather clock took the two girls away from their drooling. Alicia felt her heart skip a beat. It was two in the afternoon and she was set to meet Oliver at three.

"Oh gods Angelina this isn't going to work! He's gonna find out I'm not a journalist anymore and then I'm going to be so embarrassed cause you know how Oliver gets all pompous when he knows he's better then other people and I don't even have anything professional looking to wear this is going to be the worst-"

Angelina pounced on Alicia and slammed her hand down over her mouth. "Calm yourself down before you swallow your own tongue. Are you going to stop?" Alicia nodded. " Ok…" She eased back and let Alicia up for air.

"If I stay here any longer we're both going to kill each other before the wedding." She chuckled.

"Time is running short, Ali." She nodded towards the clock. " I can make this perfectly simple for you if you let me. All we need to do is convince Captain Blood that you're a professional journalist for an Australian magazine. You needed to get some work done while you were here and I suggested a Quidditch article on the most popular keeper in the league. "

Alicia nodded. " I can pull that lie….I think."

"Good. Now I've been working on my glamour charms, and I think I could possibly alter what your wearing now and make it look a little bit professional." She narrowed her eyes and took in Alicia's muggle jeans and white tee shirt.

"Do your worst." She held out her arms and closed her eyes.

Taking out her wand she grinned. "Oh I could get away with so much right now."

"Angelina!"

* * *

Alicia paced just outside the entrance to The Light Café. It was nearly three thirty so she guessed Oliver was already inside. Well she hoped he was inside because if he saw her pacing outside the place it would just be another level of embarrassment to put on her list.

She had to admit though that Angelina had done a wicked job with the glamour charm. Her jeans had been changed into a professional looking pair of gray slacks and the white tee shirt was now a chunky white sweater that hung slightly over one shoulder. If she didn't hate dressing up so much she might actually keep this ensemble. After much convincing Angelina had let her keep her long hair pulled back in a pony tail and only apply a bit of makeup. Her hand was clutched around a clipboard and quill that she had swiped from Katie's, and just for a little bit more effect Angelina had charmed her some non-prescription glasses.

She looked frighteningly professional. Warren would be shocked.

Hell, she was shocked.

Swallowing the lump in her throat she moved towards the door and pushed her way inside. It was a quaint little place though she could barely see her hand in front of her own face due to the 'mood lighting'. Pulling the clipboard against her chest she snaked through the crowd and up towards the bar.

"Need help miss?" A friendly looking gentleman flashed her a toothy grin while he cleaned out a few mugs.

"Yes I was wondering if an Oliver Wood happened to come in?"

"The Quidditch player?"

"Yeah that would be him."

The man scanned the room and then gave a nod towards the furthest corner. "Believe he's over there. The table with the group of giggling ladies around him."

"Thank you."

"Can I send over a drink for you?" He called out as she stepped around another table.

"Ginger tea please, no sugar." She gave a smile as he nodded and turned towards the corner again.

She took a deep breath. It felt silly to be so nervous about seeing Oliver, but the thought of telling him that she was fired was like pushing a red hot poker in her eye. Not a good idea. She could definitely do this though. No big deal. It was only Oliver. Just the most popular Quidditch player in the league.

"Um, excuse me…" She came up behind a girl who was obviously throwing herself at him. "Can I get by please?"

"Sorry girls, times up. Come down and see me play once the season starts up again. It's been fun." She heard him speak but couldn't see over the fat head in front of her.

Bloody girls.

Alicia rolled her eyes. It was obvious Oliver hadn't changed at all. Still the cocky wanker he was back in Hogwarts. Only now he was famous. Ya-bloody-hoo!

He stood. She could see parts of his face, but the girl in front of her still wouldn't move. "Excuse me." Alicia voiced again, but the girl just sneered and shot her a dirty look.

"Like I said, I'm sorry ladies, but I have this interview to do. Now if you please."

A few of the girls sighed, and the one in front of Alicia just scowled. "Sorry for the inconvenience." Alicia grinned.

The girl pushed by her and Alicia took one last breath, but it caught in her throat when she looked at the man standing in front of her. Holy hell, the pictures didn't do him justice.

"Captain Blood." She murmured under her breath.

"Merlin's beard! Spinnet?" Oliver quirked his eyebrow.

Alicia blushed hoping that he didn't hear her slip of Captain Blood. "Hey Oliver." She tapped her fingers nervously on the back of the clipboard. She could hardly tear her eyes away from his gorgeous face. It was bloody perfect. The tan skin, the piercing blue eyes, the broad cut of his chin…he really was a god.

"Alicia, wow it's so good to see you." He moved around the table and took her in his arms.

" Heh heh…" She squeaked and shakily placed her arms around him to return the hug.

This was going to be an interview from hell.

* * *

Yeah so this was sort of a boring chapter to link to the next one. The following chapter will conclude the interview ( which will have hilarious outcomes) and then George and Alicia will have another spat. That should be fun!

Please push that tiny button and leave me some reviews! Thank you!


	7. A Slip of the Pill

It took me forever to get this chapter the way I wanted so I hope it doesn't disappoint anyone. Before I move ahead I just want to thank some of you awesome people!

Jagged Epiphany : Yeah Oliver will be a nice distraction, but how long will it last. Hehehe. YAY you are almost done with the next chapter! I cant wait!

Lady Mione : Well it definitely is gonna be a stick in the road for the two of them. Somehow I think it will all end up all right….or will it? Guess you will have to wait and see.

Twisted Little Star: I'm glad you didn't think it was boring cause I thought it was the chapter from hell. Thanks for your thoughtful review though!

beanzmeanzheinz: Thank you so much! I get so nervous putting up new chapters in hopes that everyone will enjoy it. Thanks for boosting my confidence.

harrysmom: I hope you enjoyed the interview! And as for Oliver finding out if Alicia has a job…well we havent seen the last of professional interviewing Alicia.

satinzevi89: Oh spats are so much fun! I think I enjoy writing them more than having things work out for the two. Thanks for the review!

Oliverwoodschic: Hope you enjoy this next chapter! Thanks!

x3BrokenSonnetx3: Im glad you like what I have so far. Hopefully you continue to like the rest of it. Thanks!

Well that seems to be everyone. I do hope you all like this next chapter seeing as it's the longest one I have put up so far. So without any further interruptions…. On with the show.

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 7 - A Slip of the Pill

Ushering her into her chair, Oliver flashed a brilliant smile as the waiter came over and delivered her ginger tea. He slipped around the table and took his own seat across from her, his eyes never once leaving her face.

"Thank you." Alicia practically whispered. It was suddenly very hot inside the café and she wasn't in the mood for the hot tea.

His eyes dropped down to the clipboard and he chuckled. "So you went out and pulled it off? Journalist Spinnet? Hey I thought Angelina said I was going to meet a foreign journalist." He took a sip of the mug in front of him and she wondered what he could be drinking to make him look so bloody cool.

"Technically," she took a sip of the ginger tea and savored the wonderful flavor. " I am very much a foreigner since I moved to Australia eight years ago. That's why Angelina wrote you that letter. Since I'm here for awhile she thought she'd help me get a little bit of work done." Oh and how she owed Angelina for that one.

Oliver leaned back in his chair, his arms reaching up over his head and allowing his hands to ruffle his hair. " Australia, really?" He shook his head. "What turned you to the land of the Aussie's? Writing opportunity?"

_'Or George Weasley' _She thought to herself. "I just needed to get away for awhile and when the writing position I was looking for fell into my lap I just couldn't leave." She shrugged.

"Seems a bit out of character for you, Spinnet." He took another sip of his drink. " I thought the lot of you would be stuck together like glue after graduation."

"Yeah well some things don't end up the way one would expect them to." Adjusting the phony glasses on her face she relaxed into the chair. With her tea cup at her lips she inhaled the sweet aroma before taking a tiny sip.

"You dating George now?" Ginger tea sprayed across the table. "I'll take that as a no?" Oliver wiped his brow.

"Oh bloody hell! Oliver I am so sorry I didn't- It's just that- Oh I'm such a -" She jumped from her chair and moved around the table. Taking out her wand she muttered as many charms as she could in order to clean up Captain Blood. Though she had to admit if this had been a few years ago she would have probably died of laughter.

Oliver's expression was actually quite calm, and he only chuckled as Alicia tried to clean it up for him. "Alicia it's ok I'm not going to melt. Just sit down…"

"But Oliver I just want to…"

"Alicia it's ok!" He pushed her away softly. " Just sit down." He pointed to the chair and she followed orders.

"Geez everyone seems to be ordering me around today." She rolled her eyes and picked up her clipboard.

"So where were we before you decided to shower me with your tea?"

"George." The same topic she felt she had been on for the last three days.

"Ah, right. So you guys aren't together?" Oliver arched his eyebrow.

Why was everyone so obsessed with her relationship with George? It was like they had no bloody life of their own and were required to tamper with hers. "No George and I - eh well our last year at school….it didn't end on the nicest terms. We sorta fell out of place." She sighed. " And then I moved so I never really kept in touch with him."

"Strange." He shook his head. " You two were attached at the hip. I figured you'd be shagging by now."

Alicia felt her face burn red. " Well now that I feel completely awkward I say we begin this interview."

"I can't believe he just let you run away like that."

" I wasn't running, Oliver." She took her quill and pressed it to the tip of her parchment. " So how does it feel to be regarded as the top slot national starting keeper in the league?"

"So you aren't dating anyone now?"

"That's not the answer to the question." Her leg began to shake under the table. It was a silly nervous habit she had picked up on when she was a kid.

"Huh, oh right." His tongue clicked on the roof of his mouth and Alicia couldn't help but stare at him wondering how many girls those pouty lips had sweet talked. " It's a grand feeling, really. I mean Quidditch has been my passion since I could walk and now to be put up on the ranks next to some of the biggest names to pass through the league, well it's really an honor."

Alicia scribbled down the answer furiously even though she knew this stupid interview wasn't going anywhere. Hell, she could probably draw pictures on the blasted page. After drawing a few smiley faces in the margins of her parchment she looked up with a smile. " What about the upcoming season? Any team in particular your itching to face again?"

" Ya know I never thought I'd see you in anything other than that ruddy white tee-shirt you lived in." He flashed her that arrogant grin. " Must say you look bloody good Spinnet."

Alicia sighed. " Thanks, but this interview really isn't about me."

" Remember when you tried to wrestle me after I made you, Angelina and Katie do two hundred sprint tosses at practice?"

"Yeah?" She began to run the feathers of the quill on the inside of her arm.

"If I knew you'd look like this in a few years I wouldn't have protested to the wrestling match." He chuckled.

"That's gross Oliver." Alicia scoffed. " I was thirteen!"

He simply tossed it off as though it was no big deal and took another swig of his drink.

Huffing quite loudly she flicked her quill against the clipboard and scanned over the questions. "How about goals? Do you have any specific goals set?"

"What are you doing this Friday?"

"You are delusional, answer my question."

" I just did. I want to know what your doing this Friday. My goal is to take you out for the evening." Alicia just stared at him as though he said the craziest thing she ever heard. "Well, what's your answer?"

"Oliver Wood I didn't come here so I could become part of your conquered list." She began to gather her things together. "And furthermore you gave me hell during our years at Hogwarts. Why the hell would I want to go out with you?"

All he did was shrug his shoulders and raise his eyebrows.

"It was wonderful seeing you again, Oliver. If I'm lucky I'll see you again in another ten years." Pushing her glasses up on the bridge of her nose she turned in a hurry.

"Come on Spinnet, wait a minute." He rose and moved around the table just enough so he could grab her arm. "I'm really being serious here. I haven't seen you in years, and I'd really like to take you out this Friday. Hell bring Angelina and Katie if you want…the more the merrier. It's just- " He took a step back and gave her the once over. " I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm taken back by the way you've grown up. Hell if someone told me you'd end up like this years ago I would have laughed in their face."

"You are really losing points with me, Wood."

Giving her hand a little tug he pulled her closer. "Alicia, we used to be friends, good friends. Well despite all the times I picked on you for that nonsense journalist stuff. I still think you would have made top chaser in the league." He flashed a cocky grin across his face. " I just wanna have some time with you. Ya know, without all this silly interview stuff." He knocked his hand against the clipboard.

Alicia narrowed her eyes. " Did Angelina put you up to this? Did you know I was coming all along?"

"What?"

"Never mind."

"Come on, Alicia! Don't make me beg."

She turned her head slightly away from him as to avoid contact with his eyes. " I don't know…"

It was then that her embarrassment level went from moderate to extreme. Falling down to one knee he kissed her hand. " Please Alicia….please please please say you'll come out with me on Friday. It will be like old times in the common room. You'll break my heart if you say no." He shot her the most adorable puppy eyes and Alicia couldn't help but chuckle at the display.

People around her, especially the group of girls from earlier were shooting her the dirtiest looks. Some mouths gapped open in complete shock while others whispered to each other in a very obvious manner. Alicia felt her cheeks grow warm. She could imagine how flustered she had to look, but couldn't help but feel a bit honored at the same time. Oliver Wood, Most Eligible Bachelor according to Witch Weekly, was down on one knee asking to take her out. Angelina would hex her straight to Romania if she declined.

"All right all right just get up off the floor." She chuckled again and dropped her face down into her free hand. "You are absolutely insane, Oliver."

"What can I say I know how to charm the ladies." Rising from the floor he dropped her hand and winked. " You just have too soft a heart to say no to anyone."

"Yeah yeah." Reaching into her pocket she pulled out some sickles and tossed them onto the table. "That should cover my tea." Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear she bit down on her lower lip. "So you want to owl me bout when and where?"

"Yeah sure, I'll be sure to let you know by tomorrow." He ruffled his hair again. " Sorry the interview didn't work out as planned."

"Oh don't worry about it." She grinned, the relief of being found out lifting from her shoulders.

"I'll see you Friday then?" Leaning over he planted a tiny kiss on her cheek.

"Friday, heh." She chuckled sort of idiotically and stumbled back almost tumbling over a chair. " I'll see ya then." She pointed her finger, chuckled again and then moved as quickly as she could towards the door.

Alicia Spinnet had a date with Captain Blood. A very good looking, famous, charming Captain Blood.

* * *

"Do I look, ok?" Alicia flattened out the black skirt she was wearing.

"You look fine." Angelina swatted away her hands from the freshly pressed skirt. "Stop fussing about it and come have a drink." Angelina pushed her way through some people and towards the bar.

"Wait a sec." Alicia called after her. Adjusting the straps of the green top she borrowed from Katie she followed Angelina. " Bloody hell I've worn more dressy clothes in the last week then I think I've worn in my entire life." Stepping up beside Angelina she glanced over her shoulder towards Katie and held up her hand. Using the patented 'do you want another drink' hand wave she got Katie's nod and ordered two drinks.

"So Oliver said he'd be here at nine thirty?" Angelina threw down some money as a Fizzing Beer was slid down to her.

"Yeah." She glanced at the large clock on the wall. "I've got a half hour left to get completely intoxicated so I don't have an anxiety attack when he gets here." She gave the bartender a smile when he handed her the two glasses of Blackberry Brandy.

"I'm surprised Fred and Lee haven't shown up yet. I mean Lee usually jumps at the chance to hit up the bar. I guess Fred's just holding him up or something." They snaked through the crowd again, Alicia trying desperately to keep the two drinks from spilling. But that plan was spoiled when Angelina stopped short and Alicia went careening into her back. "Angelina!" She looked down the front of her outfit and groaned at the wet spot. "What the hell did you stop for."

"Fred and Lee are here." She stammered out.

"So." Alicia gave Angelina a shove and pushed to her side. Then she saw what Angelina had stopped short about. "What's he doing here?"

"I don't know! I told Fred not to tell him what we were doing!"

"Well he did a sodding good job!" Alicia hissed as they approached the table.

Katie's eyes widened as Alicia approached but Alicia gave her an awkward sort of smile to reassure the girl that things would be fine. Oh, she'd make sure they were fine. She would not have George Weasley ruin her date with Oliver.

"That's a nice look for you, Leesh." Lee pointed towards the front of her skirt and she looked down. She had completely forgotten that she had spilled the drinks on herself.

"Oh oh oh oh…" Pulling her wand from the loop on her skirt she muttered a drying charm and sighed.

"Eh, you should have left it. Gives ya character." Lee shook his fist out in front of him. "Now what can I get you ladies to drink?" He glanced at Angelina who held up her beer, then towards Katie who just shrugged. "Geez, Alicia? Anything?"

She began flattening her skirt again not only to rid the wrinkles but to get rid of the sweat on her palms. "Get me the strongest drink they have, and make it a double."

"Oh Alicia you old drunk." Lee chuckled and grabbed Katie's hand. " Come on love come with me to the bar.

"Lee maybe I should stay here with Alicia and -"

"Nonsense!" He gave her a tiny pull and disappeared with her into the crowd.

Alicia glanced over at Angelina who was glaring viciously at Fred. "Angelina you look smashing tonight. Is that a new ow ow ow ow ow." Angelina had her fingers wrapped around Fred's ear and she was pulling him a bit away from the table.

She couldn't quite hear what Angelina was saying, but by the way her arms were moving, and the frightened look on Fred's face she was sure Angelina was laying it into him for bringing George.

George.

Alicia had forgotten she was standing at the table. Alone. With George. Well she'd just pretend he wasn't there. Problem solved. So with her lips pressed firmly together she moved towards the table and sat in the chair across from the one he was sitting in. She kept her eyes planted firmly on the dance floor. Why she agreed to come to a blasted club she'd never know.

"You gonna give me the silent treatment?" George piped up from across the table.

She didn't blink an eye, instead she reached over for Angelina's beer and chugged the rest of the bottle down in one shot. Nine thirty seemed so very far away. " Oh that's good Alicia, have another drink and run away from your problems."

Her head whipped around. "Sod off, George."

" Got ya to speak to me." He smirked. " Come on Ali, talk to me. How many times do I have to apologize before you forgive me?"

"You'll be dead before you even come close to the number." She kept her head turned.

"Bloody hell Alicia!" He slammed his hand down on the table. " This kills me ya know. It kills me to finally see you home and you wont have anything to do with me!"

"That's your own fault."

He slammed his hand down again.

"Now now children, play nice." Fred approached the table with Angelina, his hand rubbing at his red ear.

"I'm real sorry, Ali." Angelina whispered in her ear. "But if it makes you feel any better I let Fred have it."

Alicia sighed. "Thanks Angelina."

"Hey what happened to the rest of my drink?" Angelina shook the empty bottle.

"Ask the drunk." George nodded towards Alicia.

"I am not drunk!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"You will be."

"Would you two stop it!" Angelina rubbed her forehead. "God it feels like Fred and I have had children already."

Fred choked on his drink. "Please refrain from making pregnant jokes, Angelina."

"My lady, your drink." Lee and Katie had reappeared with a tray of drinks, and Lee pushed a rather large glass in front of Alicia. "Bartender swore it would get ya real washy." He grinned.

"Thanks Lee." She took the glass in her hands and sipped at the bright orange liquid. The bitter taste made her face scrunch slightly but she took anther sip anyway. " Delicious." She grit her teeth..

"Hey Alicia could ya move over one?" Fred gave a nod to the empty seat on her left.

"Yeah sure." Holding her glass steady she slid over a chair so Angelina and Fred could sit by each other.

"One more Leesh so Katie and Lee can sit by each other." Fred smirked and Alicia sighed as she moved over another seat. "Ow! What was that for?" Fred rubbed his shoulder where Angelina had punched him.

Alicia quirked her eyebrow at Angelina but when she went to take a sip of her drink it all sank into place. Turning her head slightly to the left she caught eyes George. Hell, she couldn't miss him since she had slid over to the seat right next to him!

Grabbing a peanut from the dish in the center of the table, Alicia wound up and pegged Fred right between the eyes.

"Hey!" He rubbed the center of his forehead. "You may have lost your sanity but at least you kept your chaser aim." He grumbled something under his breath before taking another swig of his drink.

Alicia glanced up at the clock. Nine twenty. Pretty soon Oliver would be there and she wouldn't have to worry about sitting at the table next to George anymore.

"Oh Lee!" Katie squealed, knocking over her bottle and then grinning sheepishly. "Whoops, heh." Picking it up she gave a slight shrug. " Lee…I love this song come dance with me."

"Eh, Katie I don't know I'm really not, ok I'll dance." Lee jumped from his seat as soon as Katie narrowed her eyes.

Her fingers dropped down to the rim of her drink glass and she traced the lip of it with her finger. She had to admit that the drink really was a kicker, and she chuckled slightly to herself as she felt the buzz begin to take effect. Out of the corner of her eye she caught George staring at her, and quickly she straightened herself up and began wiping the palms of her sweaty hands down the front of her skirt. Nervous habits never die.

"Fred you wanna come dance with me?" Angelina gave Fred the eyebrows that were supposed to indicate 'lets leave Alicia and George alone'. Fred on the other hand shook his head.

"Come on Angelina I hate dancing." His voice was whiney and he rolled his head in a fashion that made him look like a five year old.

"Come on Fred. Lets go dance." Her voice was strained as she gave his shirt a tug.

"Dance with George." Fred motioned towards his brother. "Ow! Why the hell is everyone hitting me tonight." He glared at Angelina over his shoulder, but when Angelina widened her eyes and nodded towards Alicia and George, Fred's mouth opened in understanding. "Oh. Yeah, lets dance. I love dancing." He slipped from his stool and Alicia was pretty convinced she heard him say something along the lines of 'how was I supposed to know you were trying to get them alone together.'

Leave it to Angelina to make things awkward.

_'What the hell' _She thought as she took the glass and downed it all. If she had to sit here with him she might as well be drunk so she could say what's on her mind.

"You know…" She started, already feeling the burning liquid seep down her throat and pour directly into her bloodstream. " You really got some nerve coming here tonight. I didn't invite you." She hiccupped.

"Who died and left you the bloody Minister." He lifted his own glass and gulped the rest of its contents.

"I hate you, ya know." She tapped her fingers slowly on the table. The hollow noise was barely loud enough to rise over the booming music, but to Alicia it was the loudest noise in the joint.

"Yeah I know." He reached over and finished the rest of Lee's drink.

"Now who's the bloody drunk?"

"Don't start with me, Alicia. Not now."

There was silence.

Her eyes were lowered to the table top but she could feel his own penetrating her. "I missed you, ya know." She bit on her lower lip.

He was pretty sure the room went silent, but when no one turned around to shoot them looks he inched his stool closer to her. "What?"

"Even after you broke my heart….I missed you. I missed you so much that I cried myself to sleep for almost a year." She felt the tremble rise to her lips. " But I waited, ya know. I waited for so long for you to show up at my door and whisk me away and say you were sorry and ya know what….I'd have taken you back into my life without any questions. Gods, George you were my best friend."

"Alicia, I-"

"But when Angie's letters came and you were never mentioned….when I opened my apartment door every morning dying to know if you were on the other side…." The tears that she had sworn she'd keep hidden from him slowly began to surface. " everyday it was like a piece of my soul was ripped from me. Every goddamn memory that we ever made was washed from me simply because you never cared enough." She hiccupped again.

George tried to swallow but the lump in his throat just wouldn't go down. "Alicia, you're drunk…you don't know what you are saying."

She choked out a laugh. " No George I'm pretty sure I see things perfectly clear now. And ya know what….I'm glad things happened the way they did. I'm glad that you said what you did and left that night. I'm glad that I didn't waste my time here and got to live it up in Australia." By now her eyes were so fuzzy she wasn't even sure if she was looking at him directly in the face. " So I thank you George. " She jumped off the stool, and he rose with her. " Thank you for being a jerk, and thank you for opening my eyes, and thank you so much for making me realize that I can't sit around and wait for my best friend to see exactly what was in front of him for seven bloody years!" Her entire body was shaking with such a fury that she stumbled slightly and fell against him.

Towering over her, with her head buried into his chest, George dropped his eyes down while his hand stroked the back of her head. He didn't even know what to say, or where to begin, but all the fury that he had at the beginning of this outburst had slowly faded. Now, as he held her against him, he only felt one thing.

"Alicia?"

She pulled away, her hands quickly reaching up and wiping beneath her eyes. "What?"

"Alicia?"

Both heads turned and glanced over at a very confused Oliver.

"Oh!" She took a breath and wiped her eyes again. Finding her composure she stepped away from George and hurried around the table. " George and I were just catching up on some old stuff." She hiccupped again. " Are these for me?" She smiled at the bouquet of yellow flowers.

"Oh, yeah, here ya go." He held them out to her but managed to squeeze in a quick kiss before she moved away. "You really look lovely tonight, Alicia."

George just scowled. Not just because he knew her favorite flowers were really white lilies, but because he had been ready to finally admit everything. Oliver had to go and ruin everything.

"How's it been, George?" Oliver extended his hand and George took with a phony grin plastered on his face.

"Good seeing you, Oliver."

Unclasping his cloak and placing it over the back of the chair, Oliver surveyed the area and gave a small wave to Angelina, Fred, Katie and Lee. " Geez, all we need is Harry and we'd have a bloody reunion going."

"Yeah, peachy." George folded his arms over his chest.

"You feeling ok, George? You look a little pale." Oliver wrapped his arm around Alicia's shoulder.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine." He swiped his hand in front of his face.

"You wanna go dance, Oliver?" Alicia tugged at hand but her eyes remained fixed on George.

"Sure, wouldn't want to miss a chance to dance with the finest witch here." He grinned and George groaned. "You'll be all right by yourself, George?" Oliver spun Alicia and she giggled wildly.

"Yeah, have a grand time." He forced another smile hoping Oliver wasn't catching the thick sarcasm behind each word.

"Great, come on Spinnet." Oliver whisked her off to the dance floor and took her in his arms. Pulling her close against him she sighed as the slowly turned to the willowy music.

George on the other hand, just stood there and watched Oliver make off with his girl. Only she didn't know it. He'd been close, but failed to tell her again. As they continued to sway to the music, George felt an illness rise in his stomach. He couldn't watch it any longer. He began to walk away but paused inches from the table. Reaching into his pocket he pulled a tiny tablet out and walked up to the bar.

"Hey Hank." An older man behind the bar sauntered over to George and smiled.

"George Weasley, why I havent seen you in here in over a week! What can I get ya my boy?" Taking the dirty rag off his shoulder he cleaned out a nearby glass.

"I was hoping you could do me a favor, Hank."

"Anything for my best customer." Hank tossed the rag over his shoulder.

"You see that couple over there dancing." Hank nodded as George pointed out Oliver and Alicia. "Well I was wondering if you could put two drinks on my tab and bring it over to them. Don't tell them its from me just say their on the house for the famous Quidditch keeper and his date."

"I think I can do that, George." Hank grabbed two glasses and began filling them both with a bit of fire whiskey.

"Oh and one more thing." He held out the tiny pill. "Drop this in the fellas drink. Make sure he gets it and not the girl."

Hank arched his eyebrows suspiciously. "Now George I don't need no poisonin goin on in my establishment."

"No no no, its not poison, Hank. Just a new bit of fun Fred and I have cooked up. I promise nothing lethal. If ya do this for us I'll put a free ad in our next flyer that goes out." Knowing Hank was a sucker for free ads, George slid the pill across the counter.

Taking the pill in his hand Hank sighed. "For the bloke then?" George nodded. "All right George I suppose I can push this favor for ya."

"Thanks Hank. You always were a man of reasoning." George grinned. "I'm going to get going, but I'm sure I'll be seeing you within the next few days."

"Have a good night, Mr. Weasley." Hank went back to his work, dropping the tiny pill in one of the glasses.

George smirked as he moved from the bar and towards the exit of the club. Oliver would never know what hit him. In the pit of his stomach he felt sorry for ruining Alicia's date, but he couldn't help but smile as he watched the two dance in the distance.

From across the room Alicia's eyes caught George's and she pulled herself closer to Oliver. She knew making him jealous wasn't exactly the nicest thing, but her feelings couldn't avoid it. And as he walked out of the bar she closed her eyes and silently cursed herself for letting him slip away yet again.

* * *

Well what will happen next? Stay tuned and you will certainly find out! Oh and be sure to hit that little button down there on the right. Reviews are so much appreciated. Thanks! 


	8. Oh How Love is Blind

God this took me forever to get done. I must say that my updating might be a little sporadic in the next few weeks cause Ive been taking extra hours at work. I'm not going to put up any thank yous in this chapter simply because I just wanna post this up as fast as I can. So for everyone who has reviewed recently I am soooo grateful. Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy this god awful chapter, heh.

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 8- Oh How Love is Blind

"I don't know Angelina!" Alicia hurried around the table and reached for the closest napkin. Dousing it in a water glass she moved back around the table and pressed the napkin firmly over Oliver's eyes. " Don't worry Oliver, just sit still and relax. Everything will be fine."

Alicia held the napkin over Oliver's eyes while her own searched for Fred. Where the hell did he run off to? " Did Fred go to the bar for more water?"

Angelina completely ignored the question. "I just don't understand what happened, Alicia." Angelina paced nervously beside Katie. " Oliver, you sure you didn't eat anything or have anything funny this afternoon?" She paused for only a second before beginning to pace again.

"No no, oh god, no." Oliver dug his hands into the arms of the chair. "I didn't have anything unusual. Oh geez what am I going to do? Alicia what do they look like? Are they still white?"

Alicia cringed and slowly took the napkin away from his eyes. She shuttered slightly and then peered over into Oliver's eyes. "Uh, yeah they're still white. You still can't see anything?

Oliver jerked his head to the side and began shaking. "I knew this would happen! I knew it! Everything was just going so well and now I'm going to be stuck like this and oh my god what am I going to do for the rest of my life. I can't live without Quidditch but I cant play if I can't see a bloody thing!" He hunched over and dropped his head into his hands.

Alicia placed her hands on his shoulders. This was not exactly the date she had been expecting. In fact everything had been going so well when they were out on the dance floor. She was laughing and having a good time, and Oliver seemed to be enjoying her company without even mentioning anything about his Quidditch profession. Overall she had been glad she accepted this date with her former Quidditch captain.

Now…

"Should we take him to the hospital? I mean he's really not looking to good." Katie piped up from behind her.

"I don't know…I don't know…" Alicia just ran her hand over her mouth.

"Oliver can you see this?" Lee waved his hands erratically in front of Oliver's face.

"No."

"What about this." He shook his head back and forth and his dreadlocks waved furiously through the air.

"Lee I cant see a blasted thing!"

"Geez temper temper."

"Lee!" Katie shoved him aside. " This really isn't the time. Go…go see if Fred got the water."

"Well for Merlin's sake." He backed away from the table. " I know when my services are not needed. I only wanted to lighten the mood but fine. Fine! Push me away…I see how it is."

"Now Lee!" Katie pointed towards the bar.

Grabbing Katie by the shoulders he leaned over and planted a kiss. "I love when you are demanding." He smirked and made off into the crowd in the direction of the bar.

"Alicia, you need to calm down. You running around like a lunatic isn't going to help anything." Angelina took hold of Alicia's arm.

"She's right Spinnet. Just take a seat. We'll just wait until Fred comes back and then I'll apparate to the hospital."

"Oliver! You can't apparate in that condition. We'll go outside and get on the Knight Bus. I'll go with you."

Oliver just let out a slow deep breath. " My career is over. My life is over. I knew it….I just knew it would happen."

"Knew what would happen?" Lee emerged from the crowd and approached the table.

" I thought I told you to go find Fred!"

"I did." Lee pointed to a red head bobbing through the crowd before it pushed through a line of people and revealed a very nervous looking Fred.

"Uh, here I got two glasses of water." He handed one out to Alicia.

"Ok, Oliver just take a breath, drink this and just calm down. As soon as you regain your composure we'll get going. I'm confident that one of the medi-witches will be able to help you out."

" God I hope so." He fumbled with his fingers for a brief second while Alicia handed him the glass. " I mean if this is it…. I always knew it would happen. I knew if I let my guard down my biggest fear would come true."

There was a crash.

All eyes, well those except Oliver's, moved towards Fred. His own face was full of such utter shock that he hadn't even registered that he dropped the second glass of water.

"What was that?" Oliver jerked slightly in the seat.

"Fred, are you ok?" Alicia, who was closest to him, took out her wand and vanished away the shards of glass.

"Yeah I just- well I cant believe-" The words he was looking for became lost in his mouth so he shrugged.

"Well if everyone is done making this night even more stressful I'm going to take Oliver to St. Mungo's." Alicia placed her hands on Oliver's arm and helped him rise from the chair.

"You want me to come with you, Ali?" Angelina caught Fred scanning the club out of the corner of her eye. Something definitely was off about this situation.

"No it's all right." Alicia helped Oliver place his arm around her shoulder. " You guys enjoy the rest of the evening. I'll see you back at the apartment Katie." She smiled slightly and began shuffling towards the door with Oliver.

"See ya soon, Oliver! Lee called out. " Hey why'd you hit me?" He glared at Katie.

"See ya soon? Bloody hell Lee the poor guy just lost his eyesight. You'd think you could have refrained from saying something that involved 'seeing'" She shook her head.

" Hey!" Angelina's forehead was resting in her hand. " No more arguing. Lets just get home for the night, ok?"

"You don't want to stay any longer?" Fred was still scanning the crowd. "Has anyone seen George? I sorta need to ask him something."

Angelina narrowed her eyes. " I knew it."

"Knew what?" Fred finally stopped searching and turned to face her.

Katie and Lee stood silently at the table but both knew what was about to go down. Angelina was about to have a fit.

"I knew you had something to do with Oliver's eyesight! You've been sweating ever since you dropped that glass, Fred! You look like someone just found out your deepest secret, and now you're looking for George to figure out your next move."

Katie and Lee both shot Fred a very surprised look.

"Look I have no idea what happened….ok well that isn't entirely truthful, but that's why I'm looking for George. I need to find out if he was the one who did something."

"Did what?" Angelina punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow! I want to see if George somehow slipped Oliver one of our new pills."

"Pills? Pills! You had George slip Oliver one of your stupid pills?" She hit him again.

"Hey I'm going to start counting this as abuse soon." Fred rubbed his arm. " And to be clear, I don't know if George slipped him one of the pills. It's just that." He sighed. God he was so going to get it. " These new pills we've been working on, well you slip them into someone's drink and they dissolve. Once the entire glass is gone it takes about a half hour for them to take effect." He stopped.

"What do they do?" Angelina went to swing at him again, but Fred moved back to avoid the hit.

"Right, well, the point of the pill…." He ran his fingers through his hair. " They're supposed to make your worst nightmare come true. Guess Oliver was terrified of losing his eyesight….heh…" He chuckled weakly as Angelina's eyes grew wide.

"Come on. We're going to your flat." She grabbed Fred's hand and Katie and Lee followed right behind.

"Why? What's that got to do with anything?" He yanked his hand away from hers.

"Because…" She stormed out the exit of the club and out towards the street. " Your stupid brother is the brains behind this." And with a pop Angelina was gone.

"Mate, how come you never told me about these pills? Merlin I have so many people I'd love to try them on!" Lee gave Fred a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. "They sound brilliant!"

"You both are idiots." And with another pop Katie was gone.

"Don't mean to cut you off, Lee but if we don't get to my flat Angelina will kill George."

"Most true my friend."

Two more pops sounded, and both Fred and Lee disappeared from the street.

* * *

He knew it was eventually coming. The girls were smart and he was certain one of them would figure it out before the night was over. He was hoping it'd be Alicia so he could get her alone in the flat for a few hours. Changing into an old tee shirt and a pair of torn up pants, George sat down on the sofa and began to wait. By now the pill would be taking affect, and he wondered what exactly Captain Blood's biggest fear really was.

Conjuring himself up a cup of black coffee, he kicked up his feet and stared at the front entrance. Any minute.

Then there was a pop and a screaming Angelina.

Bloody hell.

Another pop followed, and George closed his eyes as Katie appeared at her side.

Two more pops followed that, and Fred and Lee both apparated directly in front of Angelina and Katie. The four had all begun to move at the same time and became quite entangled with each other.

George couldn't help but snicker.

"This…" Angelian broke free from the mess. " This is definitely not funny, George!" She towered over him while he sat on the sofa. "Do you know where Alicia is right now? Do you?"

"Comforting poor Captain Blood I bet." He sneered.

"No you wanker she's at the hospital with him! Oliver nearly had a heart attack all because of you and your stupid brother!"

George quirked an eyebrow. " Fred had nothing to do with this. It was all my idea and besides it's none of your business what I do, Angelina."

"None of my business? What! You are deliberately trying to piss off Alicia, one of my best friends, and you think that's none of my business." Lifting a pillow from the armchair she hurled it at George's head. "It's bad enough Alicia is giving me a hard time about walking down the aisle with you, and now you go and do this! I swear if she leaves and its on your head…" She began to mumble incoherent things under her breath.

George, however, just stared at her with a confused expression on his face. "What do you mean she doesn't want to walk down the aisle with me?"

"Exactly what it sounds like genius." She rolled her eyes.

Katie and Lee threw each other sideways glances and made off for the kitchen. Anything was better then hearing Angelina and George argue over how much Alicia hated him. It usually ended up with Fred prying Angelina from George.

"What the hell! Why wont she just grow up?" George threw the coffee mug at the wall.

"Oh and like you placing one of your childish pills in Oliver's drink is any more mature?"

"It was just a joke, Angelina."

"It was rather funny." Fred piped up but was immediately shot a look from Angelina.

"See, Fred thought it was funny." George pointed towards his brother.

"That's why Fred is better off sleeping here at home tonight and not coming back to my flat." She grumbled.

" You don't get it Angie." George rose from the couch. " All I want to do it get her to see that Im sorry about the past, but she wont give me the chance. She's being so stupid about it."

Angelina dropped her head into her hands. "George your just never going to get it are you?" She sighed. " Look I'll be the first to admit that Alicia goes overboard with this whole grudge thing, but you- you don't understand how deep you cut her when you said those things."

"Angelina it was a mistake, and I regret that every day of my life." Stopping in front of the oval mirror hanging on the wall he glared at himself. "I just don't understand why she couldn't move on with her life…why couldn't she just let me go."

Angelina pushed herself from the couch, and joined George at the mirror. " You don't understand, George." Placing her hand on his shoulder she gave a semi shrug. " Look there is like a million different types of love out there in the world. You've got the love between you and your parents, or the love you share with a sibling. Hell you've even got the love you have between friends which is like the love I have for you, Katie and Lee." She sighed. " But then there's the love that makes you feel like you are above the world. It's the love that makes you feel alive and happy… it makes your heart beat fast and your head a little dizzy, and maybe the only thing that makes any sense it the fact that you know you cant spend another waking second without having that person there beside you. It becomes a love so unconditional, so beautiful, so emotional that it embraces the soul far greater then any other love you can hold for anyone else. This is how Alicia loved you, George. When she told you how she felt eight years ago she was trying to tell you that was how she loved you….and the most you could do was turn your back and fly out those doors."

He sighed, and turned his head. He couldn't even look at himself in the mirror anymore. The most he could do was take a breath and walk out the door. He needed to get to the hospital. He wouldn't be turning his back anymore.

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Please please please review for me! Thank You! 


	9. When it Couldn’t Get Worse

I have been so sick lately and its driving me insane! I cant get rid of this stupid cough and it makes me sad cause its finally getting summery outside and I wanna go to the beach! I guess that's enough complaining for me. Here are some thankies:

satinzevi89: Thanks so much! I hope this update was quick enough for ya!

Jagged Epiphany: It has taken him long enough to admit it to himself, but at least George sees the light now. Lets hope it works out, hehehe. Thanks for the review!

Twisted Little Star : Haha yeah Lee knows how to make everyone feel better. He's good like that. Thanks!

Oliverwoodschic: Alicia cool down? Well that would make sense if the poor girl had some common sense in her! I'm sure she will calm down soon though wink Thank you!

Lady Mione: I hated that chapter but I'm glad you liked it! Thankies!

beanzmeanzheinz : THANK YOU!

Well on with the show….

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Remember When

Chapter 9 - When it Couldn't Get Worse

George Weasley was a lot of things. Many people told him that he was the master of quick witted one-liners. He was also known as the King of Comedy though he often shared that title with Fred. Sometimes people told him he was the greatest man in all of London, and others told him that he was the reason they found the courage to ask out the girl of their dreams. Sometimes even girls fawned over him. They'd promise him little things if he'd just go out on one measly date, and he'd oblige if the girl was pretty enough.

But there was one thing that he just couldn't face.

And that was admitting defeat to Alicia.

After leaving Angelina and the gang back at his flat he had decided to walk to St. Mungo's. The air was hot and thick and he was glad he didn't bother to bring his cloak on such a balmy autumns night. The cobblestone street clicked beneath his heels and sent an empty sort of echo through the air. It must have been late because the streets were empty, but he couldn't be too sure since some of the late night pubs were still hopping. He was tempted to go inside and grab a quick drink before confronting Alicia, but decided that the less washy he was the better his speech would be in the long run.

"Excuse me sir, but would ya spare a few sickles for a lady and her baby?" A toothless hag holding a small bundle approached him.

"Bugger off."

"But sir I aint got much money to feed my babe." She held the bundle in front of his face. " A few sickles would make it much better for us, it would." She let out a long breath and the wheezing noise coming from her made George cringe.

"Sorry but I have somewhere to be."

"Give me your money boy." The woman dropped the bundle and pointed her wand. George just sighed. Nights on the streets could get dangerous if one wasn't careful. He kicked at the tiny bundle and watched as a bottle of fire whiskey rolled across the street. Just his luck to be mugged by a drunken homeless witch.

"Ok ok hold on and I'll see what I have." He made no sudden movements, but slowly reached into his pocket and removed a purple coin bag. He knew this would come in handy eventually. "Look I've got all my money in this bag, just take it and let me go." He shook the money in front of her face and she smirked a toothless grin.

"Now that's the polite way to help out a dear old woman." The hag cackled and snatched the bag from Georges hand.

"I'll be going now." He quickly turned and made a dash towards the closest alley. He'd take the back way to Mungos. Slipping between two buildings he heard a horrifying screech and assumed the woman just figured out the money was fake.

He'd definitely be making more of those at the shop. After the incident with leprechaun money at the Quidditch World Cup, he had concocted a crazy idea for a little merchandise. It would be the perfect sort of prank for someone to play on an unsuspecting fool, and judging by the way the hag had just taken the disappearing money it seemed to pull off the effect he was hoping for. Hell, people could use those fake coins to get out of muggings all the time. It would certainly save their money in the long run.

Chuckling lightly to himself, George jumped over a separation at the end of the alley and began walking through the emergency drop off area of St. Mungos. To say that he was a little nervous was putting it lightly. His heart was beating so furiously he was surprised that it didn't jump out of his chest. Which probably would have been the best time for it to happen since he was at the hospital.

Composure was key.

Which was slowly leaving him as he approached the front desk of the hospital. The heavy medi-witch behind the counter was busy rummaging through a pile of paper work that she didn't even notice he was standing there until he cleared his throat rather obnoxiously.

"Oh I'm sorry." She chuckled and her belly shook. " I was a bit distracted with this paper work. How can I help you sonny?"

"Well I was wondering…" He rubbed the back of his neck. " Can you tell me where I can find an Oliver Wood?"

"Ah the young Quidditch boy who thought he lost his eyesight…" She nodded and pulled out a sheet. " He should be on the fourth floor, spell damages wing. I believe room number 4." Placing down the parchment she narrowed her eyes. " You all right boy?"

George swallowed. "Yeah, just fine. Thanks you for the help." He gave a quick nod and began to make his way towards the fourth floor.

There was an array of images flashing furiously through his head, and he only wondered which horrific one would play out. Would Alicia hex him clear across the country? Or maybe Oliver would just beat him into a bloody pulp. There was always the chance that she'd just forgive him and plant kisses wildly across his face…..

But that image was definitely a long shot away.

Stepping out onto the fourth floor he took another deep breath. It still amazed him how much Alicia could get his heart going, but the last things Angelina said to him before he left kept buzzing in his ear. It was killing him.

Room 1

He casually glanced inside the room and almost gagged as he caught a whiff of something terribly rotten. Whatever it was he decided not to investigate any further and continued on.

Room 2

He wondered if Alicia had figured out that it was his fault that Oliver went blind at the club. If she knew it then he probably didn't have much time to explain himself before she went absolutely nutters on him. He was willing to take that risk though. No more turning his back. Especially not on her.

Room 3

"Can I get a fever reducing potion in here?" A rather young and attractive medi-witch peered out into the hallway and as George passed the room she smiled shyly at him.

Room 4

The door was closed but he could hear the murmur of voices on the other side. It was far to quiet to hear exactly what they were saying, and he suddenly wished he had brought some extendable ears. Oliver was sure doing a good job keeping his voice very low, and he wasn't even certain if he had heard Alicia speak yet.

Horrific thoughts whirled through his head. Maybe Oliver was taking his anger out on Alicia. Perhaps he blamed the whole situation on her and now she was paying for his own mistake. Well there would be none of that on his watch.

Kicking the door open as hard as he could George whipped out his wand and pointed it across the room. He felt his ears go red.

"What the hell are you doing, Weasley?" Oliver's eyebrows were arched as he glanced at George from the hospital bed.

Next to Oliver, sitting comfortably in a chair, was another bloke he had never seen before in his life. Alicia was no where in sight. "Oh, uh, sorry Oliver I just thought-" He lowered his wand. " I actually don't know what I was doing."

The fella in the chair just strained a smile to his face and turned back to Oliver. "You know this guy?"

Oliver sat up a bit straighter in the bed and chuckled. "yeah George and I go way back. We went to school together, actually he was on my Quidditch team back in those days." Oliver shook his head with a laugh. "George this is James Aphelbaum, one of the beaters on-"

"Puddlemere, geez I should have known." George moved across the room and extended his hand. " Merlin you have some of the best skills I have ever seen."

"George used to play beater on the house team back at school." Oliver chuckled again as George stared at James completely star struck. "His twin brother played the other beater position…they were a great team."

"Oh really?" James let go of Georges hand and folded his arms across his chest. " Its always great to meet a fellow beater. You must have been pretty good to get a compliment out of Ollie like that. He doesn't give them to often." He smirked sarcastically.

"Sod off." Oliver rubbed at his eyes. "So what brings you here, George? Come to visit the injured like good old James here?"

"Uh, actually I was wondering if Alicia was still here. I sorta need to talk to her about something and Angelina told me she came here with you."

Oliver nodded. "Yeah she brought me here, but once Madam Stuppleton said my eyesight would be coming back in the next hour I told her to go back home. No reason to wait here waiting for the eyes to get better. It wasn't like I was going anywhere." He ruffled his hair. "Besides James showed up to check on my condition and I figured we could talk strategy."

"Ah for the team, I got ya." George nodded as the weight of the world was beginning to lift from his shoulders. There was this huge chance that Alicia hadn't figured it out, and since Oliver sent her home he could meet her there and talk to her alone. Perfect.

"Something like that." Oliver pursed his lips together and shrugged. " I shouldn't have to stay here much longer, thank Merlin, but until then I definitely need a distraction. Hospitals always give me this nauseous feeling."

George shoved his hands in his pockets. " Heh, yeah well Im going to get going then. I still need to talk to Alicia before she goes to bed." He took a couple of steps back. "Hope your feeling well in the morning. It was nice to meet you James."

"Likewise." James gave a nod.

"See ya Oliver."

"George wait!" Oliver held his hand up. "If you see Alicia tell her I'll pick her up at seven tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, what's tomorrow?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"I asked her out again to make up for this fiasco tonight." Oliver cast a sideways glance at James and then looked back at George. " You'll tell her for me wont you?"

George felt his shoulders droop. So much for getting Oliver out of her life. He had his work cut out for him. "Yeah sure I'll tell her."

"Thanks mate." He grinned. "If I don't see you I'm sure I'll catch ya at the wedding."

"I didn't know you were invited." He said this a bit bitterly mostly because he had sent out all the invitations himself. Sure Katie had sent out a few but he figured she would have told him she invited Oliver.

"Well actually Alicia asked me to be her date for the evening." He grinned. "I'm not much for dancing and wedding nonsense, but I couldn't pass up an open bar."

"Right." He couldn't stand there a second longer. " I need to go now." He flicked his hand in a casual wave and took off out the door before Oliver had another chance to tell him something he just didn't want to hear.

* * *

"Alicia you need to stop! You are completely drunk." Angelina moved across Katie's apartment and grabbed the bottle of liquor from Alicia's hands.

After George had took off Katie and Lee went back to Lee's place and Angelina decided to check on Alicia. Fred had opted to go with her but she was still pissed at him. So here she was alone with a very wasted Alicia.

"Don't be such a wanker, Angie." Alicia yanked the bottle back out of her hand and chugged half the contents down. "Let me drown my miserable life in this wonderful, beautiful, oh so heavenly bottle of whiskey." She hiccupped and started giggling madly.

"Gods you are such a twit. What happened with Oliver?"

"He asked me out again." She threw her arms up in the air. "And oh and here's the kicker…." She waved her hand in front of her face motioning for Angelina to move closer. "Shhh this is a secret…" She giggled again and dropped her voice into a low hiss. "I asked him to be my date to the wedding. George is gonna have kittens."

Angelina sighed. "Don't you think you two are being really stupid?"

Wavering slightly she placed the bottle down. "You know what everyone's problem is, they don't know when to keep out of someone else's business. You and Katie, bloody hell even Fred and Lee just keep on pushing and pushing and pushing god I cant even breathe around here." She shook her finger. " This is why I stayed away for so long…" She stumbled over the end table.

"Ali, sit down before you fall down…" Angelina ushered Alicia down onto the couch.

"I told you in all those letters coming home was a bad idea. I told you it would only bring up pain and problems, but no you had to go and get married and invite me here and make forgetting the past so much harder then it already was…" She hiccupped again. "Give me the damn bottle."

Angelina rolled her eyes and punched Alicia hard in the arm.

"Ow! Bitch! What the hell did you do that for?" Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she rubbed the spot that Angelina just knocked.

"Did that hurt?" Angelina waited for Alicia to nod. " Good."

"You are so lucky I am way to drunk to hit you back." She fell back into the couch but her hand continued to rub at her arm.

"Are you over it?"

"Huh?"

"I just hit you, and you got ticked for a few minutes, and now I want to know if your over it."

Alicia sneered. "Well it still hurts, but yeah whatever I'm over it. Why?"

"Cause things hurt all the time, but you eventually get over it. Sure the pain sticks around for awhile but when it starts to calm you realize that you cant dwell in the past. You gotta move on."

Alicia kept her eyes fixed on the ceiling. "But what if you cant move on? What if I just- " She hiccupped again. "I see him and I think about how great our friendship used to be and how much we had shared with each other and I want it back so bad but I can't Angie."

"Why not?"

"Cause I cant feel that rejection again. I can't let him in when I want so much more and all he wants is just friendship."

"Alicia." Angelina's tone became very serious. "I hardly doubt that George just wants friendship with you."

"I don't want to hear it! I don't! There's nothing! I don't want anything with him…" She shot up and grabbed the bottle again. Throwing her head back she finished off the bottle and threw it hard across the room.

George had apparated to Katie's joint immediately after leaving the hospital. His anger was at a level that probably wasn't safe but he needed to see her. He need to clean everything off of his chest, and if she still wanted to be a child about it then fine. He would wipe his hands clean of her forever. Approaching the door he contemplated knocking or just barging right in, but once he heard a crash of glass come from the apartment he didn't wait for an invite.

"Alicia?" He called as he ran into the room.

"George?" Angelina was busy cleaning up the shards of glass but his focus was on Alicia.

There in the center of the living room was Alicia, completely drunk and clad only in her ratty white tee shirt. Her legs were bare though he caught a glimpse of her pink underwear when she decided it was an ideal time to do a kartwheel across the room.

"Hey we were just talking about you." She pointed to him as she straightened herself out from the kartwheel.

"What the hell did she drink?" He moved towards Angelina as she charmed the last bit of glass from the floor.

"Oh just a whole bottle of whiskey plus whatever she drank at the club tonight." Angelina sighed. "Why are you here?"

He cast a glance back at Alicia, her long dark hair whipping wildly around her face. " I needed to talk to the drunk."

"I'm not drunk!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"I hate you both!" Angelina screamed. " You.." She thrust her finger into Georges chest. " You created this whole fiasco so you know what…you take care of her tonight. She's driving me insane!"

"Oh no, come on Angelina I can't do this." He looked over at Alicia who was doing a handstand. Her shirt had fallen up around her face and now he had a complete view of her pink underwear and lacy white bra. " I just came over to tell her something I cant look after her in, well in this condition." He felt his face turning scarlet.

"Alicia sweetie, George is going to stay here while I leave, ok? Don't do anything stupid." Turning back to George she gave him the evilest grin she could muster. " Have fun." And with a pop Angelina was gone.

Running his hand over his face he turned back to Alicia. She was still up in the handstand, but her arms were beginning to wobble and in her state George knew she was going to fall over and break something. Most likely her neck.

"Come on Alicia, stop, I need to talk to you." He moved over to her and tried to pull her legs down without touching her in a compromising way.

"Cant stop." She forced out in a huffy breath. "Need to distract myself." Her arms continued to wobble.

"Alicia, you are going to hurt yourself. Let me help you down." He grabbed onto her ankles. "Nice and easy…come on…." Slowly she began to lower herself, and when she was close enough to the floor he let go and let her plop down.

"Ow, you jerk, that hurt." Standing up she adjusted her white tee shirt and flung her hair over her shoulder. "What do you want."

He was lost in her hazel eyes. Even with the glazed over drunk expression he still found them to be the most beautiful pair of eyes he ever saw. Only when she pushed him did he snap out of the trance. " Oh, uh, Oliver s aid he'd pick you up at seven tomorrow."

Her mouth dropped open slightly and she held back another hiccup from rising. " You came all this way to update me on my date with Oliver?" She paused for a second and then burst out laughing. " Oh that's rich!"

"I cant do this." He turned from her and made his way to the couch. " You are too drunk. Go to bed and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Why, cant stand the fact that I might be getting it on with Oliver tomorrow?" She jumped in front of him and grinned. "Someone jealous…." She pushed him back and he landed on the sofa with a huff.

"Yeah cause Oliver certainly is a catch." He rolled his eyes.

"Don't take shots at him simply because your angry." She frowned. " Or is it something else? Maybe I don't deserve someone like him either? Is that it? "

"Don't get into this Alicia. I told you that you misinterpreted what I said." He groined. He definitely didn't want to get into this with her drunk.

Apparently she didn't care. She always did march to the beat of a different drum.

"Oh did I? That's a joke. Lets see if I can remember exactly what you said that night…lets see how much of it was misinterpreted and how much was the bloody truth!" Her whole body shook_ " I had been waiting to tell you…_

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Well this is it. The next chapter you finally get to see what actually went down in the dorm room all those years ago. Ya know what would be super….some reviews! Thanks! 


	10. The Past Comes Out to Play

Wow! First of all I am so excited that you guys really like this! I have never felt so good about writing before and its all thanks to your wonderful reviews!

Much thanks to: **elka78**, **Oliverwoodschic**,** satinzevi89**, **Twisted Little Star**, **Lady Mione**, **Jagged Epiphany**, **Ins Pins**, **mrsgweasley**, **KitKat001**, and **FizzingWhizbeez**! You guys are so super and definitely make my day when I come home and see that you have reviewed.

I wont go on to long cause I'm sure you don't want to here me ramble…so…. On with the fic….

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Remember When

Chapter 10 - The Past Comes Out to Play

"Don't take shots at him simply because your angry." She frowned. " Or is it something else? Maybe I don't deserve someone like him either? Is that it? "

"Don't get into this Alicia. I told you that you misinterpreted what I said." He groaned. He definitely didn't want to get into this with her drunk.

Apparently she didn't care. She always did march to the beat of a different drum.

"Oh did I? That's a joke. Lets see if I can remember exactly what you said that

night…lets see how much of it was misinterpreted and how much was the bloody truth!" Her whole body shook

" I had been waiting to tell you how much you meant to me and instead I get crapped on…

"George!"

"What?"

"The important thing you needed to tell me…" She rolled her hand in front of his face as if to urge him onward.

"Oh right." He sighed. " I was just about to get to that…" Taking the pillow from beneath his chin he rose from the bed and took a few hesitant steps across the room. " You know Fred and I have been working on the joke shop for awhile now, right?"

Alicia furrowed her eyebrows. "Uh huh." Well this certainly had nothing to do with him confessing his heart.

" We were going to open it as soon as we got out of here." He sighed. " And nothing about that has changed. Just…well I think we will be opening it a bit sooner then expected."

Alicia studied his body language for a moment. Something just didn't seem right about the whole situation. " Ok, and this all ties together how?"

"Fred and I are leaving tonight." He said it so quickly that it took Alicia a moment for it to register.

"What do you mean you are leaving tonight?" She pushed herself up from the bed and hurried to his side.

"It's a rather long story, Ali, and as much as I would love to sit down and tell it to you I can't. We just need to do this to help out Harry. The poor kids sorta in a jam plus neither of us can take Umbridge anymore so we decided that the best way to put all this behind us is too leave in the most dramatic way possible. This way no one forgets us. " He winked. " It's gonna be great too. Fred concocted this whole prank in order to drive Umbridge out of her skull before we jet off. You should definitely come down and enjoy the festivities."

Alicia was silent. This was supposed to be the moment he was taking her in his arms and whisking her away. Now he was just running out on her. "You can't leave, George. What about finishing school? You cant just take off when your so close to graduation! Plus" She took a sharp breath, " what am I supposed to do with my best friend gone?"

"Oh come on Ali, like finishing off these last few weeks will really sway my decisions on my future occupation. I already know what I'm going to do with the rest of my life so there is no reason for me just sit here on my arse and wait."

"What about me?"

Silence.

"What about me, George?"

"What about you?"

That struck her deep. " What about our friendship? What am I going to do without you here? George you are my best friend, and we've been through everything together. How am I supposed to finish off the last of our schooling without you by my side?"

"Nonsense, you have Angie." He swallowed a lump in his throat.

"And I love Angie dearly, but there's a difference between what I hold for Angie and what I hold for you. I can't…I can't let you throw all this away simply because you can't hack what Umbridge is throwing to you."

"I told you we were doing this for Harry, for a friend."

"Well do something for me then. I'm your friend, right?" She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks. " Stay here and finish school, and then on the last day of classes have your fun and knock Umbridge down. Fly off and out of this school in your blaze of glory, but don't let her get the best of you now!"

"What the hell, Alicia! Why does it matter? Why do you care so bloody much what I do with my life? I'm not like you!" He turned towards her, his eyes trying to mask the formation of tears. "I don't have all these glorious options like you. I'm not brainy or patient enough to go out and search for a job. My parents don't have the financial backing to let me bounce around and try out different occupations. You've got everything Alicia! Your parents have money and you have the brains to be something brilliant. There's nothing left for me here."

"George, I love you."

It wasn't supposed to be like this. There was supposed to be laughing, and hugging and kisses everywhere. Instead there was just a vacant stare coming from George's face.

"Don't say that."

"But it's true. Gods George don't tell me you've never noticed the electricity between us. Don't try and pretend that you have never known how I felt. Granted I might have kept it quiet for so long, but I- I didn't want to lose you as a friend. I need you in my life."

"This isn't going to change anything Alicia. I cant be with you-" Closing his eyes he sighed. He didn't want his final moments with her to be lost in anger. He didn't want to leave this place knowing she was dying inside. " There couldn't possibly be anything between us Alicia. We come from two completely different worlds, and as much as I value our friendship, that's all it will ever be."

Grabbing at his robe she shook him. " Don't tell me that. I know you care about me! You wouldn't have come up here to tell me you were leaving if you didn't. Don't lie! Just tell me how you feel, tell me that you love me too and everything will be all right. I don't care if we come from different backgrounds because its our differences that make us stronger. Don't leave me like this. "

"And what are you going to do once you get out of here, Alicia? I'll be busy working at the shop while you go on to become this famous writer. We wont see each other cause you'll be out doing interviews and becoming famous. That's not a relationship, Alicia! "

"Then I won't go into writing. I'd rather be with you then without you. I'll take up a position in the shop. I'll write your ads or something. I just- don't push me away."

When they were in their second year together George had asked Alicia to spend some of the summer holiday at the Burrow. She of course had said yes, and George had been elated. When she arrived with her parents, they had been so cold to George and the rest of his family. In fact Alicia's mother had pulled her aside and gave her a stern talking to. Alicia, with tears in her eyes, yelled back at her mother. George was a little shocked by her attitude towards her parents, but when she later told him that they had practically forbid her to associate with someone lower in class he was heart broken. Alicia reassured him that she took care of the mess, but he didn't learn of the repercussions until a week later. She received a letter from her parents stating that they would not be paying for her schooling supplies anymore if she continued her friendship with George.

Alicia was devastated at her parents ridiculous behavior and wrote them back saying that she'd rather tap into her own account in Gringotts then ever foil her friendship with George. Of course George felt awful and that summer the two had concocted a plan that would allow them to remain friends without worrying about the watchful eyes of her parents. But even after things seemed to calm down around the Spinnet home, even after they thought Alicia wasn't spending time with 'the lesser class', he had begun to take notice to all the sacrifices she made simply for him. All the times she lied to her parents so she could spend time with him, all the vacations she missed out on simply to have her parents gone and the house to herself so he could come by, or even the time she declined attending the prestigious Austrian Quidditch Summer Camp because she had promised Ginny that she would teach her some amazing chaser skills in July. She had sacrificed for him for the last five years.

He didn't want to do it, but he had to. He couldn't risk her giving up everything she had been working so hard for just for him. Not again. He cared for her too much. He had to be straight with her. They couldn't be together. Even if it killed him. " I don't want you giving up your dreams for me. You don't -"

"What? Say it! Spit it out!" She was pushing him quite hard in the chest. " Tell me!"

" You just don't deserve someone like me, Alicia."

"What?" Her voice was flat.

And then George realized what he said and wished he had just left without even telling her a thing. Course in his head he had meant it as she was too good for him and deserved better, but the way it came out just sounded cold. He felt sick.

"I didn't mean it like that Alicia. What I'm trying to say is-"

"Deserve you! I don't deserve you!" She began punching at his chest. " How dare you even place me so low George Weasley! Have you always thought this about me? Have you always thought of me as some worthless pile of trash?" Her hands were flying so hard at his chest that it took him all of his own strength to grab her arms and hold her back. " What's your problem anyway? What is it then? Am I too ugly? Not slutty enough like the rest of the Hogwarts population? Or is it because your just damn jealous of my parents money? " Oh she knew it was low, but her heart hurt too much to care. Hell if he thought she didn't deserve his almighty godlike image then she was going to make sure she made him feel like dirt before he left. " I don't deserve you." She scoffed.

"That's low Alicia. You misinterpreted what I said…" He dropped her arms.

"Yeah well maybe if you'd take your head out of your arse for a second you'd realize what's right in front of you. I am right here George. I have always been right here waiting for you. Please, tell me that you need me as much as I need you. "

He glanced over at the clock. He needed to get to Fred if they were going to pull the whole fiasco off in time. As much as he wanted to stay there beside her he had to let her go. His own life was screwed up enough and he'd be damned before he'd let Alicia fall into the vortex of his hellish nightmare. She'd go on and be bigger, she'd go on and be better, happier. She'd have the world at her fingertips but if she felt like there was some shred of hope between them all of those dreams of hers would simply drift away. She'd stay to be with him and he couldn't let her do that.

He'd cut the hope.

"I don't need you. I don't need you at all actually. In fact I'm pretty sure I can get along perfectly fine without you around. You see Alicia, I don't need to cling on to someone in order to function in life. I can go out into the big wide world all by myself because I'm not afraid to live. But you Alicia " He turned away from her so she couldn't see the pain in his eyes. " You need to hold onto someone for dear life because you are too weak to go out there and live a life of your own. You cling onto Angie, you cling onto me, god I'm not surprised you don't let your mother pick out your clothes when you are home on holiday. Forget me, and forget this and bloody hell stop trying to hold on to something that's never been there! I don't need you! I don't want you!"

There was a loud crash in the bathroom and Alicia's eyes darted between the door and the back of George's head. She was mighty surprised Angelina hadn't come out and beat the snot out of him. She, on the other hand, couldn't move. She couldn't breathe.

"You were my world."

"Yeah well here's a tip…sometimes the world isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Pushing him from behind, Alicia cursed. And cursed. And continued to spew out the most vulgar language he had ever heard come from her tiny lips. And though it would have seemed as those vulgar words would have cut him deep, nothing hurt more then what she said before she kicked him out.

" I hate you." As soon as the door slammed in his face he leaned back against it and listened to her sobs, but it was hard to make them out since they were muffled by his own…

"I still hate you. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you…" She repeated over and over again while her body swayed from side to side. " I hate you so much, George Weasley!"

"Alicia, I- " He reached out but she swatted his hand away.

"Don't try and make up for it because even if you didn't mean it you never came to me…" And then the drunken tears broke through. " So now, ya know what I'm gonna do…" And then as suddenly as the tears came they left. "I'm gonna do another handstand…" She slapped her hands together and started hysterical laughing. Flinging herself forward she went up on her hands and held the position.

"Alicia stop it. You are going to hurt yourself!"

"Here's the deal Weasley." Her words were so slurred together that he had to bite back his own laughter.

"What?"

"You and I have a handstand contest like we used to do back in school. If you stay up longer then me then I'll stop and go to bed. If I win well then you have to go home and leave me alone."

"Ok ok ok…" He hoisted himself up on his hands. Turning his head slightly towards her he sighed. " You know I cant do these things for very long. This isn't a fair contest."

"Shut up, you owe me."

"Yeah yeah…"

George felt his own arms begin to wobble as he remained up in the handstand. Even when he was younger he could never do the blasted things. Then it happened. He sneezed and completely fell flat on his face.

"Crap."

"I win! I win!" Coming down from the handstand quite gracefully she jumped up and down. "Now go! Get out of here and leave me alone!" Her tone was harsh and as George hoisted himself up off the floor she began shoving him towards the door.

"Alicia, stop I can't leave you like this…"

"Like what?" She paused.

"Ali?" Turning around he watched as her face went completely white. "Alicia are you ok?" Placing his hands on her shoulders he held her straight. " Alicia?" She didn't say a word. "Stop giving me the silent treatment! What's wrong?"

With that she proceeded to vomit down the front of his robes before her eyes fell shut and she passed out against him. Oh how utterly romantic. With a sigh he lifted her up in his arms and made his way towards Katie's bathroom.

Leaning over he planted a tiny kiss on her forehead. "I guess I deserved that. " He said with a soft chuckle before closing the bathroom door to take care of his best friend.

* * *

Well stay tuned for the next chapter because if you think things are all worked out between our two little love birds then you are sorely mistaken. Alicia's got a date with Ollie, remember? Heh it should be interesting to say the very least. Thanks for reading and please leave a review before you head off to another story ! 


	11. A Knight in Shining Armor

Thank you guys so much for all the reviews. I'm sorry it took me awhile to get this chapter out but I went camping this week and havent been home to get it up. I feel like this chapter sucks a lot but I know the next chapter will make up for it because I've already started it and I was practically dying! Ok I'm not gonna thank you all individually today, but just know that you all make me extremely happy when I see a new review pop up. Thanks again! Now lets get going!

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 11- A Knight in Shining Armor

"You think she murdered him?" Lee Jordan pushed open the door to Katie's apartment and stuck his head partially inside. It was quiet.

"I'd be surprised if she didn't." Katie shoved him into the door and they both stumbled into the sitting room. "I still can't believe Angie left them here together."

Taking Katie by the hand, Lee brought his index finger to his lips and made a hushing noise. The apartment was dead quiet and Katie wasn't sure if that was supposed to make her feel good or very nervous. With her hand in Lee's she gave a tight squeeze and pointed towards the spare bedroom.

"Kate I really don't think this is the time…" Lee's eyes went wide. " I mean Alicia could have killed our very good friend and all you can think about is getting on a quick snog in the bedroom! I'm disgusted!"

"Lee!" She laid a hard smack on his shoulder. "I let Alicia have the spare bedroom. I'm just guessing they are in there."

A wide grin spread across his face. " Oh…you think they…ya know…" He made some very crude hand gestures and Katie felt her face go red.

"I don't know why I put up with you." She turned from him.

Actually, she knew exactly why she put up with him. It was humor like this that had made her fall in love with him in the first place. The playful smile that always seemed to be pressing at his lips could make her worries seem to drift away. When Angelina had pointed out back in school how perfect they'd be together Katie had laughed for two hours straight. Now she didn't know what she would do without him by her side. His warm chocolate skin, those silly dreads, and those hands…. God…

"Katie?" He gave her a shove.

Pushing up to the tips of her toes she pressed her lips against his own. " How about after we find George's body and make sure Alicia doesn't have alcohol poisoning we head out to the lake by Gracie Square. I just wanna spend the day with you."

Lee felt his face blush. " Don't you have work?"

She placed a phony pout on her face. " You don't want to spend the day with me?"

His eyes raked over her body. Her long blonde curls hung down around her shoulders but that didn't even compare to her sparkling blue eyes. The teal tank top she was wearing with her tight blue jeans made his stomach lurch slightly and he took a breath in order to control his animal instincts. He reached out to touch her cheek and grinned at the deep contrast between her milky white complexion and his dark chocolate exterior.

"I want to spend every day with you." He watched the smile on her face grow so large that it seemed to light up the room. Sometimes he marveled at how charming he was.

"Well lets hurry up and check on these two." She turned her head slightly and kissed at his hand.

Katie slipped around her off white armchair and over a pair of shoes she quickly assumed were Georges. She pointed to a discarded shirt and tried to stifle her own laughter. Lee picked up the shirt and mouthed 'They totally did it' before tossing it back on the sofa.

Pressing her ear to the door of the spare bedroom, Katie listened for something… anything. Unfortunately the room remained dead quiet and she bit at her lower lip. Facing Lee again she shrugged.

"What do we do?" She hissed through her teeth. "Should I knock or maybe just stick my head in and take a peak?" She was all for the knocking considering she didn't want to intrude on something private.

"Look it's way too quiet in there. They are probably sleeping. Just stick your head in and make sure George isn't dead and then we can go." Lee wiggled his eyebrows. " Hurry up…"

Katie glanced over towards the discarded shirt and shoes and scrunched her nose. " No way! You look in there! What if- what if they did 'make up' and George is naked or something!" She shuttered. " I don't want to be scared for life, Lee!"

"Oh and I want to look in there and see George in all his naked glory?" Lee made the most disgusted face he could muster.

" The three of you used to run around naked in your dormitory! You've seen him naked plenty of times…" And then she paused and shook her head. " which is so utterly disturbing …"

Lee grinned. " You think Alicia's naked?"

"Lee!" She hit him repeatedly across the back.

" It was just a thought." He took a few steps away from her so he was out of range of her slapping. " Look I want to get out of here so I can be with you, ok?"

"I know that and I wanna be out of here too but-"

"Forgive me then." And with a chuckle, Lee reached for the door knob, turned it and pushed Katie into the room.

Katie screamed at the top of her lungs, her hands immediately flying to her face so she could shield her eyes from anything that might kill her.

Two more screams sounded from the room, and as Katie removed her hands from her eyes she looked down to see a very terrified Alicia who was clutching the hell out of her pillow, and George who had taken the liberty of grabbing the closest thing he could defend himself with. Alicia's hairbrush.

"Katie!" George yelled through his panting.

"Alicia!" Katie looked across towards Alicia who was trying to untangle herself from the comforter on the queen sized bed.

"Lee!" Alicia glared at Lee as he sauntered up behind Katie.

"George?" Lee scratched his head. "What were you planning to do if I was a mugger? Threaten to brush my hair?" He lost it and fell back against the wall hysterical.

George looked down at the hairbrush in his hand and blushed. He had meant to grab his wand but in the process of screaming like a little girl he grabbed the brush instead. Tossing it back on the floor and rising to his feet he glanced between the three pairs of eyes that were staring at him intently.

"What?"

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Alicia, finally pulling herself out of the comforter, slipped off the bed. A slight breeze blew up her back and she glanced down. The only thing she was wearing was her old white tee shirt, she was missing the lower half of her attire. Her face went scarlet as she looked up at the two boys who were trying to hide their smirks. "One second." She held up her finger and bolted towards the bathroom.

A second later she emerged in a pair of torn up jeans and her hair pulled back out of her face. With her eyes still glued to George she folded her arms across her chest. " Now where was I? Oh right…what are you doing in my room?"

Katie and Lee both snapped their heads towards George who was busy pulling up blankets from the floor. "Calm down your majesty, I slept in here last night just to make sure you were ok."

Alicia paled. " Ok from what?" She kicked at the floor with her right foot.

George felt his eyebrows arch. " You don't remember what happened last night?" He tossed the pile of blankets onto the bed.

"I do!" Lee piped in, his hand raised in the air as though he was answering some question in class.

"What happened?" She looked away and out the small window that was in the corner of the room.

Lee grinned. God he loved telling stories. "Well Oliver lost his eyesight and you -"

"I remember that, Lee. I mean what happened here last night? I don't even remember coming back to the apartment." She reached for her wand which was placed on the nightstand next to the bed. Waving it at the comforters she watched as the sheets began to tuck and fold and land perfectly in place. Making the bed had never been so easy.

"You got wrecked last night when you got back here. I came by to talk to you and Angelina left me here to take care of you." George ran his hands along his stomach and realized that he had been shirtless this entire time. Actually he realized he was standing there in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. Scanning the floor he located his pants and quickly put them on so he didn't feel so exposed.

"Then why are you sleeping in here! There's a couch out there ya know." She balled her fists.

"You were really messed up last night, Alicia. I wanted to make sure you were ok." Especially after she threw up all down the front of his clothes. It had taken him three cleansing charms to finally work the stains from his shirt. "Look its not important anymore I'm leaving now."

"Wait!" She turned around so quickly that she nearly fell over the bed. "I need to talk to you a minute…alone." She eyed Katie and Lee who continued to stand there. "Um, alone…minus you two." She pointed towards the door.

Katie blushed. "Oh right. The door. We're going. I'm actually, we are actually going to be out all day. I'll see you later tonight, Ali. Oh and don't stay out too late, we have dress fittings tomorrow." She grinned and grabbed Lee by the hand.

"Alone time then?" Lee wiggled his eyebrows at the two. " Good luck, mate." He tossed George a wink and yelped as Katie pulled him out the door.

Alicia took a breath.

The last time she felt this nervous was when she was standing in her dorm room waiting for George to arrive. The funny thing about it was that she didn't even know why she felt so nervous. Hell, she should have been furious that he had spent the night in her room, but as she brought her eyes up to connect with his she couldn't help but feel her icy exterior soften.

"I remember everything that happened last night." She spoke quietly.

George shifted his weight uncomfortably from his right foot to his left. " Then why'd you lie to Lee and Katie?" He ran his hands down the front of his chest again and silently wished he hadn't left his shirt out in the sitting room.

She chuckled. " Would ya believe I was embarrassed?" She turned her back to him and leaned against the side of the bed. The tiny throw pillow at the foot of the bed fell to the floor and she bent over to pick it up. Tucking it under her chin she felt like a little girl, and at that very moment she suddenly wished she was five again. Life was so simple then.

"You don't get embarrassed. You get angry and then usually beat up the other person." He moved around the bed and halted right in front of her. Standing before her he never really noted how much taller he was than her, but standing there now he seemed gigantic compared to her teeny tiny hunched over body.

"Yeah well I just didn't want them to find out what had gone down here last night." She brought her chin up briefly but dropped it down almost as fast. " And I'm not talking about how I threw up on you, which I really am sorry about…" She smirked. " it's mostly about how I got wasted and brought up some harsh memories."

His heart dropped. " No, I deserved it. I was a jerk, Ali…and I- " She held up her hand.

"This isn't George apology time, ok? Take this for what it is cause you'll probably never hear it again. I don't hand these things out too often." She looked up at him again and shrugged. "I'm sorry about last night. I'm sorry for being a twit cause I know that's exactly what I was."

He stared at her for a second before running around the bed and out into the sitting room. Alicia quirked her eyebrow. That was definitely a reaction she wasn't expecting. Where was the pointing and laughing? Where was the 'I cant believe you apologized to me, Spinnet!'. Then he ran back inside clutching a piece of parchment and a quill.

"Could you just write down what you said to me. I wanna make sure I hang on to this cause I doubt I'll ever get an apology from you again."

"Git." She threw the pillow at him.

Dodging it with a smirk he just continued. "Look it's not everyday you apologize to someone, let alone me." He waved the parchment and quill in front of her face. " Come on, Ali! Just write down that you said you were sorry and sign the bottom or something."

"I'm not signing anything." She pushed the parchment away but smiled an actual genuine smile.

George squinted. Did she just smile at him? He hadn't received a genuine Alicia smile in years.

"What are you grinning at." Taking the parchment and quill from his hands she tossed them both on the bed.

"That smile just reminds me of when we were younger." He shrugged. Oh and how he missed that smile. The way she'd look up at him with her big wide hazel eyes and grin wildly. When she grinned like that a tiny dimple popped up on her left cheek, and he often wondered if she even knew it existed. He of course knew every detail of her face. Right down to each tiny freckle that sprinkled across her nose.

" Yeah well don't get used to it." She placed her hands on her hips. "You know…I really am sorry though…plus " Her eyes turned away and she casually ran her right hand through her hair. "Thanks for taking care of me. I mean this doesn't mean I'm not ticked with you, its just-"

"I get it." He caught the wave of relief that washed over her face.

Letting out a defeated sigh she shook her head. "No you really don't. I've been nothing but a pain in the arse, but you still stayed here and helped me out when I was in a bind."

George watched the emotions burn at the surface of her skin and he bit back every impulse that was telling him to hold her. All he wanted to do was to forget the past and make up for it by living in the present with her. He couldn't force her though. Cause chances were she'd never let him that close to her heart again.

"It just - remember when we were in fourth year and I got sick a few weeks before Christmas holiday. Everyone went to Hogsmeade weekend but I had to stay back cause I was too sick. You took care of me. You stayed up in the common room with me after Pomfrey gave me that nasty headache potion."

"I wasn't up for going anyway." He lied. He remembered wanting to go to Zonko's so badly that weekend, but he just couldn't do it knowing Alicia would be stuck up in the dormitory all alone. So he told her that Fred wanted to spend alone time with Angelina and he didn't want to be Katie and Lee's third wheel. In the end he was glad that he had stayed with her. She had even kissed his cheek before she went to bed.

"I'm glad you stayed with me then… and I'm glad you stayed last night."

"So does this mean-"

"I still hate you." She stated firmly.

"I know." His shoulders slumped.

"But maybe I can start acting a bit more civil. Maybe I don't have to bite your head off every time I see you." She noted his immediate reaction and held up her hand. " Don't push it." With a grin twitching at the corners of her lips she gave him a shove. " Now go home so I can get ready for my date."

He was pretty confidant that his heart just exploded into twelve million pieces. "Date?"

"Yeah, ya know the one with Oliver." She moved into the sitting room and tossed him his shirt. "Boy Katie and Lee didn't waste any time getting out of here. Were they that frightened of us?"

"We are pretty intimidating individually. Together we must be a nightmare." He pulled his shirt up over his head. "So you really like Oliver then?" He was following her so closely that she must have been able to feel his breath on the back of her neck.

"I don't know. I didn't really get a good chance to enjoy the date last night seeing as he went blind. That's the only reason why I agreed to go out again." She came to a sudden halt which only caused George to careen into her back. " Hey!" She glared. " This is none of your business anyway, Weasley!"

"I was only curious."

"Go home."

"But I-"

"Don't make me regret this civil attitude I've taken." Reaching up she took him by the shoulder and directed him towards the door.

"Come on Ali, I just-"

"Goodbye George." She held the door open for him, though she couldn't deny the pang of guilt as he slipped on by her.

He grumbled under his breath. Well, might as well go out with a bang. "Oh and by the way. Those pink frilly under garments you wore last night were adorable. Oliver would love them." He was sure he saw steam erupt from her ears before she slammed the door in his face.

* * *

Alicia stared at herself in the mirror for a long ten minutes. Silence. Nothing more or nothing less. She took in the tangerine colored tank she borrowed from Angelina, and wondered why she never wore the color regularly. If she didn't sound so conceded she'd say she looked ravishing, but too keep from sounding too cocky she just settled that she looked decent. The white pants she wore offset the tank, and she grinned at the outlook in the mirror. If this didn't set Oliver off then the poor man was completely blind.

Flattening out her dark hair she moved from the mirror and sat down in the armchair closest to the door. He had said seven, but the clock on the wall read seven fifteen. Maybe he forgot about her? Or maybe he just realized that she was a complete waste of time and decided to blow her off at the last minute.

A knock at the door broke her from her daydreaming.

" Coming." She yelled as she jumped from the armchair and bolted towards the door. Giving her hair one more flattening she placed her hand on the knob and swung open the door with a grin. "Oh, what are you doing here?"

George stood at the door with his arms folded across his chest. When he had left his flat the notion of checking up on her before her date seemed brilliant. He just wanted to make sure Oliver was going to treat her the very best. Now, looking at her all dolled up for him, his stomach flopped. "I left my money bag here this morning. You threw me out before I could notice it wasn't in my pocket."

Alicia stood at the door with her lips pressed into a firm line. " You've had all day to come pick it up, and you come here now? Oliver will be here any minute, hurry up." With a shake of her head she moved aside and let him into Katie's apartment.

He pushed by her and made his way through the sitting room and into the kitchen. He knew he left the bag on the dresser in the bedroom, but he wanted as much time with her as possible before Oliver came. "Hey Ali, I don't think I have ever seen you dressed up in so many fancy ensembles. You look nice."

Alicia closed the door to the apartment and felt her heart skip a beat when he spoke. Why did he have to make things so bloody difficult? " Uh, thanks." She dropped her gaze down to the outfit. "It's not the most comfortable choice of clothes" she grimaced when she thought how great it would be just to go out to dinner in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, " but I'm not really complaining." Even though she secretly wished Oliver wasn't as high maintenance as he was.

"You should just wear what you want then." She watched as he made his w ay through the kitchen and back into the sitting room. " Your just making yourself out to be something your not then. It's like your wearing a bloody costume only to make him pleased. That's sad, Ali."

She shrugged. "Can we not talk about this." She didn't need dating advice coming from the man who had broken her heart.

"Yeah sure." He shrugged as well and moved into the bedroom. "I found the bag." He yelled out to her which washed a wave of relief over her.

"Great you can leave now." She grinned as he came back out of the bedroom. "I need to finish getting ready before-" but the knock on the door cut her off. "Damn!"

George emerged from the room with a smirk plastered on his lips. He was hoping Oliver would arrive before he left. It made his plan that much easier. With his money bag in hand he leaned against the side of the sofa and waited for Alicia to open the door.

"Oliver." Alicia felt her cheeks go red as she opened the door. He was absolutely gorgeous. The dress robes he sported were a deep navy which only accented his beautiful sparkling blue eyes. And that smile! Oh his smile was simply divine!

George grumbled as Alicia practically threw herself into Oliver's arms. It was pathetic. What made it even worse was when Oliver pulled out an enormous box of chocolates and a single red rose. Bloody git.

"I decided that tonight is going to be all about me making up for last night. I set up a splendid evening for us." Oliver moved into the sitting room and was almost startled to see George standing there. "Oi, Weasley. Nearly gave me a heart attack there. How's it going?"

"Dandy."

Alicia took one look at the death glares George was shooting Oliver and quickly intervened. " How are your eye's Oliver? Everything all right?"

Oliver smiled and waved his hand casually in the air. " Oh yeah everything is perfect. They released me a little after you left last night, and I went back home and just got some rest. But the eyes have never been better…." He smirked. "Which I am so very pleased about because I'd simply die if I couldn't take in how beautiful you look tonight."

George gagged. What a lame pick up line! There was no way in hell Alicia would fall for it. He knew her far too well.

"Oliver!" She swatted at him playfully. "You are making me blush."

George felt his jaw go slack. Normally Alicia would have laughed and or punched a bloke if he used pick up lines like that. But there she was cooing and giggling and prancing around Captain Blood as though she were some air headed school girl. This had to be stopped.

"You ready then, Alicia?" He handed her the flower and chocolates and shot George a look of triumph when she went to place them in the kitchen.

George felt his fists ball up.

"Yeah lets get going. Come one George, I'll see you out as well." She extended her arm and both men exited the apartment. " I hope there isn't a chill in the air tonight, I didn't bring oh my god…" She stopped abruptly in her tracks when they reached the front of the building. "Oliver, this isn't for us, is it?" Her eyes went wide at the display before them.

George too felt his mouth go dry. How the hell was he supposed to compete with that?

There at the side of the road stood a man holding open the door to an enormous white carriage. And it wasn't even the fancy carriage that caused her to blink. Two beautiful hippogriffs were fastened to the front of the carriage, gold harnesses keeping them in place. It was beautiful. SO beautiful in fact that Alicia couldn't even find the strength to speak. She was speechless.

"Your carriage awaits my dear." Oliver placed his hand on the small of her back and ushered her towards the carriage. "See ya, Weasley." He called over his shoulder while Alicia stepped up the golden staircase and into the carriage.

"Yeah, see you." He mumbled again, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a disk like object. He smirked and waited until the door closed and the driver to assume his position back at the front of the carriage. With a quick flick of his wrist he shot the disk towards the carriage and watched it stick firmly to the side.

The man driving the carriage gave the reins a bit of a pull and the hippogriffs reared back and began to gallop down the road. From the window in the carriage he caught Alicia's eyes and forced a smile to his face. The hippogriffs reared back and began pulling the carriage up into the air. His gut sank even further.

"See ya, Weasley."

Oliver's words just seemed to cut through him. Something was off about the wanker. Just the way he spoke didn't settle right in Georges stomach.

He glanced up at the carriage and caught a glimpse of the tiny disk. " I'll see you sooner then you think, Wood." He smirked, and with a pop he aparated back to his flat. It was time to be the knight in shining armor. He had a date to get ready for.

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The next chapter will have the entire date, and we will find out exactly what the little disk provided George. It should be fun. Thanks again for reading, and please leave a review cause it makes me so very very happy! 


	12. Spilling Secrets Only Causes Chaos

Yay this chapter is finally done! A few days ago I was at work and decided I'd try and write up some ideas that I wanted to throw into my next chapter. Instead I came up with a whole new grand Alicia based story so once I'm finished with this one I've got a brand new one to immediately start on. It's kinda exciting. Plus I got in trouble with my boss when he found out I was writing and not working. Oh well. Ok here goes a few thanks:

Oliverwoodschic: George has this whole problem with doing stupid things. You will see this stupidity inflate in this chapter. Thank you!

FizzingWhizbeez: Thanks so much! Katie and Lee are the absolute best. They are far too cute together. As for whether or not George crashes Alicia's date….read on….

KitKat001: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I certainly had a ball writing it up. Lee makes me laugh so much. Of course something has to go wrong…would life be fun if things always worked out? Thanks for the review!

Heartstring: That was one thing I promised I wouldn't do…have them rush into a relationship, that is. Thanks for the review!

Clueless Bystander: Thanks so much! I thought the last chapter blew so getting reviews like yours makes me smile.

Twisted Little Star: Boys do weird things. My guy friends think its hilarious to run around naked together. They are far too weird. Thanks for the review!

angela angsamaue: Thank you so so much!

satinzevi89: Thank you! You get a cookie for being a loyal reviewer!

Lady Mione: Like I said before Lee is hilarious. I don't know why but I just see him being sillier then the other boys. Thanks!

Jagged Epiphany: YAY! Isn't freedom awesome! I finished school a little while ago and now I'm home and don't have to head back up to campus until August. Life is sweet. Thanks for the reviews! You rock!

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Remember When

Chapter 12- Spilling Secrets Only Causes Chaos

Alicia glanced down at her hand which was wrapped firmly in Oliver's. If someone had told her that she would be out on a date with the same man who used to make her do sprints in ninety eight degree weather then she would have probably punched them in the face. This was all just too strange. Yet the funny thing was that she was truly enjoying Oliver's company. Sure there were moments where he seemed to slip back into demanding captain mode, but for the first portion of their date he had been utterly sweet, incredibly charming, and had spared no expense on her.

After taking in a opera at the Whetherby Music Hall, and dining out at the prestigious La Bella, he had offered her to choose the next destination. And as much as she had thoroughly enjoyed the last two places she needed somewhere where she could feel a bit more comfortable. A place where she felt like she was in her own skin. So when she told the driver to take them to the nearest pub she felt her body could finally relax. Now she could finally let loose on her date and get to know the famous Quidditch keeper just a little bit better.

"You sure you want to go to this place?" Oliver gave her hand a squeeze as he stared up at the broken down sign hanging in front of the pub door.

The Grand Osprey looked as much a dive as the next pub and Alicia felt her grin grow wide. " This place looks wicked." She gave his hand a tug and without offering him another chance to disagree with her choice she pulled him through the door.

The inside was as broken down looking as the outside, and Alicia smirked at the sketchy people that sat at the bar. "Come on we can grab one of those tables in the back." She pointed towards a booth against the wall and with another tug she pulled Oliver in that direction.

"Ya know I haven't been to a place like this in quite some time." He grimaced slightly as she slid into the sticky booth.

"Places like this give me a jolt." Her eyebrows rose a bit and she waved one of the bar maids over. "I don't know why I just find that you end up having the most interesting times at places like this. They're different." She shrugged as Oliver gave a confused nod.

"Well its nice to see you kept some of that rugged personality alive." He gestured towards her clothes. " I mean not that I don't love the new professional look but it still strikes me funny that you of all people went classy."

Alicia felt her cheeks grow hot. "Ya know you should watch that mouth of yours, Wood. Some people may take those charming compliments a bit out of context." How dare he say such things!

Oliver dropped his eyes. "Look Alicia I didn't mean it like that I just-"

"Forget it, forget it…"She waved her hand in the air. " I just want a drink." A good stiff drink.

Turning her attention to the approaching bar maid she smiled. The woman was wearing the most atrocious get up Alicia had ever seen. A dirty white blouse that seemed to be covered in every liquor imaginable was half tucked into a skirt made up of materials of every bloody color. She wore her red hair half up and out of her eyes while the other half hung long and ratty down her back. When she smiled she was missing the four front teeth on the top row and before she spoke a sick wheezing noise erupted from the back of her throat.

Alicia loved her already.

" 'ello kids, my name be Endora." She struggled to give what looked like a curtsey, " can I get ya a spirit or two?" Her eyes shifted between Alicia and Oliver and the wheezing noise grew steadily louder.

Alicia grinned like a mad woman. "I'll take a Blackberry Blast on the rocks." She licked her lower lip.

Oliver, who had been staring at the woman in utter disgust, broke out of his stare. "Oh uh I'll take um a brandy please." He shook his head as the woman gave a nod, her wheezing causing her to choke for a moment. " Uh make it a double." The woman cackled lightly.

"Someone be hoping to forget some troubles with a few spirits I see." She gave Oliver a pat on his shoulder which caused him to pull back slightly. " You kiddies sit a spell and Endora will bring your spirits out in a moment."

Alicia watched the retreating back of Endora before she folded her hands beneath her chin and grinned. "She's wicked!"

"Yes wickedly repulsive." He scrunched his nose and wiped his hand across the top of the table before he leaned on his elbow on it.

"Oh Oliver don't be such a child." She pushed his elbow slightly.

"I don't know Alicia this place seems a bit…run down." He cast a sideways glance around the dark room and towards a few of the drunken wizards who had passed out at the bar.

Alicia roamed the room with her eyes as well, her excitement growing when she caught sight of the cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling. The signs on the walls hung crooked and seemed to be faded to show they had been sitting there for at least fifty years. It was places like this that Alicia inhabited back in Australia. They were the only places where she felt comfortable, where she felt free. It was like a part of her personality lived in places like this and if Oliver didn't get it, well hell with him.

"Places like this hold character, Oliver." She rolled her eyes slightly and went back to surveying the area.

"Well I'm willing to give it a chance then for you, Spinnet." He reached out and gave her arm a rub.

She smirked bashfully. Ok he just earned himself another point.

"You having a good time so far tonight?" He retracted his hand and propped his chin in it.

For Merlin's sake, she couldn't remember the last time she had such a good date. He had treated her like gold and it seemed to only better by the minute. "Oh tonight has been great, Oliver. I still cant believe you got that carriage to take us around." She shook her head.

"Well I had to do something to impress a top notch journalist. I mean you probably have blokes fawning over you all the time. I needed to make myself stand out." Leaning back into the booth he chuckled. "Plus I had to do something to make up for all those rough Quidditch practices. I cant win you over when your still thinking about those blasted sprints I made you girls do."

Why did he have to be so bloody perfect? Her heart fluttered slightly and she felt herself tear her eyes from his. If she looked at him any longer he'd probably see the drool sliding down the side of her mouth.

An awkward silence rose between them, and Alicia found herself staring at the bar longing for Endora to bring back her drink. Tonight she wouldn't allow herself to get plastered, but a few drinks definitely wouldn't hurt her. Plus she didn't want to get all tipsy and say some things she might later regret since that seemed to be her hobby as of lately.

"Here comes our drinks." Oliver's words snapped her out of her daze and she smiled up as Endora approached the side of the table.

"A blackberry blast for the lady and a double brandy for the mister." She placed the mugs down on the table.

"Thanks so much, Endora." Alicia smiled up at the disheveled woman.

"Endora!" A yell from the front of the pub caused every head to turn.

Alicia felt her heart stop and her eyes go wide. How the hell did he manage to ruin everything!

"Mr. Weasley!" Endora left the side of the table and moved quickly across the room towards George. "How be my favorite customer?"

George leaned over and gave the woman a tight embrace. "Endora, dear it's so good to see you."

The woman cackled and ushered George into the pub a bit further. George grinned and gave a slight wave to the man behind the bar. The man belched as he nodded and went back to cleaning out the mugs with his wand.

Out of all the places in the world he had come to the one place where she thought she'd be alone with Oliver.

"Oh and Mr. Weasley who is this ravishing young lady?"

Alicia tensed at Endora's words. Craning her neck slightly she caught a glimpse of blonde hair. For some unknown reason she hoped that it was Katie.

"This is Anabelle Stanton, Endora, my date for the evening."

Alicia's heart dropped. Maybe she heard him wrong. Maybe he said Katie Bell.

Yeah sure, he said Katie Bell.

"Very nice to meet you Miss Stanton. I know Mr. Weasley here is quite a catch so I best be thinking your date here this evening will be quite nice."

Nope, not Katie.

He had a date.

A date!

He had a date and he brought her here.

He had a date and now she had to watch it unfold.

She felt sick.

"Oi, Weasley!" Oliver waved his hand in the air and Alicia quickly swatted it down.

"What the hell, Alicia?" Oliver shot her a look.

Maybe he didn't hear.

"Why Oliver, Alicia, is that you guys?"

Blast!

George left Endora at the front door and slinked around a few tables towards them. All Alicia could notice was the fact that he was holding the girls hand. She hated herself for feeling so sick at the sight, but she couldn't deny that it was killing her. Inside she kept trying to convince herself that she didn't want him, but what she was certain about was the fact that she didn't want him with anyone else either.

So much for a terrific ending to a somewhat terrific evening.

"Wow this is strange!" George stopped at the side of the table and looked down at Alicia. " Out of all the places we end up here with you guys." He shrugged and gave a slight laugh. " Oh this is Anabelle Stanton." He pulled Anabelle up to his side. "Ana this is Oliver Wood and Alicia Spinnet."

Alicia noticed how he purposely stared her down when he introduced Anabelle.

Wanker.

"Nice to meet you both." The girl tossed her honey blonde locks over her shoulder.

Alicia couldn't help but grumble under her breath. The girl was absolutely stunning. Her hair cascaded down her back and created such a beautiful contrast against her golden tanned skin. She had the body of a bloody ballerina with legs that seemed to run on forever and a stomach that was flatter then…well basically the girl was perfect. And the way she stared at George, Merlin! With those doe like eyes that were the color of the ocean she batted her lashes at him causing him to grin. Alicia suddenly wished that her boring hazel eyes had something just a bit more.

"We just got our drinks, George, would you care to order some and join us?"

"No, you'd rather spend your date alone, right?" Alicia narrowed her eyes as George looked down at her. " Right, George?" The words barely slipped through her clenched teeth.

"Actually it would be nice to join you two…" He looked over at Anabelle who also nodded.

"Great." Oliver slipped from his side of the booth and motioned for Alicia to move over.

Alicia sat there like a stone.

"Come on, Spinnet, move over." Oliver gave her arm a bit of a shove.

She mumbled something under her breath which sounded a lot like 'this bloody sucks' but finally moved over and allowed Oliver to sit beside her. Oliver shot her a confused look but shrugged it off as George began going on about what a coincidence it was that they all ended up in the same pub.

" I've been coming here for years and never in my life have I ran into someone." He grinned and mentally thanked himself for coming up with that make shift tracking device.

After throwing the little disk against the side of the carriage, George had rushed back to the shop where he could test out his new device. Pulling out a rather plain looking map he found the tiny little dot that represented the disk and grinned. Sometimes he was certain that he was a genius. Taking a few cues from the map they gave Harry back in their fifth year, George had concocted the disks in order to keep track of whatever or whomever they attached them to. Fred had immediately thought to market them to parents to keep an eye on straying kids, but since it didn't really coincide with the joke shop they had just placed them on the back burner for awhile. Well now at least he knew they worked.

Watching the dot move across town George wrote up a quick owl asking Anabelle to accompany him later on. He knew that Alicia would somehow manage to get them at a bar of some sort, so needless to say when he saw they ended up at the Osprey he grinned. Now, as he stared across at her, he could sense the tension rising between them. Unfortunately Oliver kept placing his arm around her shoulder or rubbed her arm in order to comfort her. That made sitting across from them just a bit harder.

Alicia scoffed into her drink. "Yeah bloody coincidence…"

"You say something, Ali?" George turned his eyes towards her and at the same time took Anabelle's hand in his. With his thumb he caressed the inside of her palm and all the while Alicia felt her stomach clench.

Hell if he wanted to play rough she was willing to throw her weight around. "I was just about to say that Oliver and I have been having the most wonderful evening." She moved herself incredibly close to Oliver's body and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I think it's safe to say that Oliver here is the absolute king of dating."

George's face went slightly red. "Yeah well I guess it helps when you got loads of money to throw around, right Wood?"

Oliver, a bit dumbfounded as to where the conversation was going just shrugged. "Oh, er, uh well I just like a nice evening…" He looked over at Alicia who had now taken the liberty of resting her head against his shoulder. If he didn't know any better he was pretty sure the night was about to get pretty ugly.

"Oh and it's been such a nice evening. Actually one of the best evening's I've ever had." Taking her head off of his shoulder Alicia pushed up slightly and this time planted a tiny kiss right on the corner of Oliver's mouth.

"Hey Ollie, did Alicia ever tell you about the summers she used to spend at my house?" He began to run his fingers through Anabelle's hair.

"No, well I knew you two were good friends, but I didn't know you spent time at his house over holiday, Alicia." Oliver, who was still recovering from Alicia's kiss, nervously touched the side of his mouth.

Alicia's eyes went wide. Where ever this was going is definitely wasn't going to be good.

"Oh yeah, she used to spend holiday's there all the time. Actually, funny story…" George leaned across the table, his eyes catching once with Alicia's which were giving him the evil Alicia death glare. " one time Alicia was trying to teach Ginny a few chaser moves- "

"Ok George that's enough…" Alicia shot him the look again.

"Nonsense! Oliver will love this story!" George wrapped his arm around Anabelle and pulled her closer. " anyway so she's up in the air teaching Ginny and this flock of birds comes up over the house. Ginny sees the immediately cause she's facing that way, but Alicia's got her back towards them. So Ginny tries to tell Alicia that these birds are heading for them, but Alicia's in coaching mode and starts yelling at Ginny for not paying attention. Ginny, obviously not wanting to get bombarded, jets out of the way at the last moment, but Ali here…" He bit back on his laughter, " Alicia gets caught in this massive flock of birds and somehow manages to fall off her broom."

"That's not very funny George…" Oliver narrowed his eyes.

"No no no there's more…" George laughed. " so instead of falling to the ground her pants somehow get caught on the end of the broom and she spins upside down…" Slapping the table in laughter he continued. " and so now she's hanging upside down from the tip of her broom, these birds are flying like mad all around her, and we all get a birds eye view of Alicia's underwear….little Gryffindor lions and hearts. Finally when she comes down, well after Fred brought her down, not only does she still have her pants around her ankles, but she's covered in bird dung…oh it was hilarious!"

Alicia's face was beat red.

Oliver smirked slightly but quickly brought his drink to his lips to keep himself from laughing. Anabelle covered her mouth with her tiny little hand and Alicia just shot her a glare. She looked over at George who seemed to have the most satisfied expression plastered to his lips.

So she did the only thing she could do.

"Oh yeah that was hilarious!" She laughed sarcastically. " But it also reminds _me _of a time when I stayed at the Burrow." She watched at George's head snapped up. " In fact it might have very well been the same year that my broom incident occurred." She smirked as George frantically began to shake his head back and forth. "You see George and Fred loved to pick on me when I stayed there over the summer. They'd never leave me alone and since I was mostly with Ginny they'd drag her down too. So one day Ginny and I got fed up with the pranking and decided to do some pranking of our own."

"Alicia I really don't think this is the time-"

"Oh nonsense, George!" She mimicked his words from earlier. " This story is hilarious!"

"Yeah I do say I'd like to hear it." Oliver raised his glass again and took another gulp.

"Well lets see…" Alicia tapped her finger against her lips. " Oh right, the prank. Well Ginny and I brewed up this potion we found in one of their mums old school books. It was supposed to grow an excessive amount of hair but Ginny accidentally mixed up the potion ingredients cause she was younger and didn't really know the difference…" She started to laugh. " So I don't realize that this potion is a bit off and we set it up so that when the twins walk into their room it would hit them. Well George comes back to his room without Fred and sets off the invisible trap we set and the potion spills all over him."

Ana quirked her eyebrow. This definitely wasn't as funny as the story George told.

"So we start hysterical laughing as all this hair starts immediately covering George and the best part is that not only is he being covered, but he starts screaming that it itches. Ya see Ginny somehow included crushed pepperwood which causes excessive itching so George is scratching at all this hair and crying. He cried! His parents were out for the day so when they finally came home George was sitting in the corner of the room crying and itching like a mad man. His mom was able to get rid of the fur but he was still crying from the itching…" Alicia paused briefly. She wanted to take in George's pleading expression before she continued. For a moment she considered leaving the story there because the look on his face was heart breaking. Then she caught a glimpse of his right hand moving down to rest on Anabelle's thigh and she scowled. " so Mrs. Weasley told George to go upstairs and start a bath. She learned from some muggle remedy book that oatmeal baths take away the itching, but the kicker is that even after she placed the oatmeal in the bath George kept crying so Mrs. Weasley sat in the loo and bathed George while he was naked. We were fourteen!" Wiping the tears from her eyes she glanced over at a very furious George.

"I was wearing swim trunks!" He blasted back.

"That's not what I heard." She replied in the most sing song way.

George snarled. "Oh yeah well remember the time you…"

Alicia stood from the booth before he had a chance to finish. " Oh don't you start! What about the time you…"

"You used to silence the bathroom cause you were embarrassed of what someone would hear!" George spat.

"You used to wet your bed until you were seven!" She leaned across the table.

"You used to pretend you were Oliver when we practiced and forced us to call you Captain Blood!" He stood from the booth and leaned over as well. Their faces were inches apart.

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"You're scared of butterflies!"

"That was supposed to be a secret, you witch!"

"You are pathetic!"

"Remember when you cried for two days straight after your goldfish died. Yeah well I was the one who over fed him!"

" Mr. Tinky was my favorite!" Alicia scowled. " Oh yeah, well I was the one who slipped all those garden gnomes in your room!"

"They ripped up all my paper work that summer!"

"You deserved it!"

"Bitch!"

"Bastard!"

"That's enough!" Oliver slammed his hand down on the table causing both of them to jump. "The two of you are causing a ridiculous scene!"

Both Alicia and George glanced around the room as casually as possible, but once they noticed how all eyes were focused on them they both sat back in their seats. A few wizards at the bar had woke from their drunken slumber, and many of them plus others were gathering their things and leaving. Endora desperately tried to keep them from leaving, but most either waved her off or offered her some sort of lame excuse as they left.

George felt awful.

Alicia felt worse.

Both Anabelle and Oliver had their faces in their hands.

It was a moment that would go down in history.

"I'm sorry!" Both blurted out at the same exact time. For a second they both just blinked, while their dates slowly raised their eyes in curiosity. "You said it first!" They both pointed.

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Can you two please stop acting like an old married couple and quit it with the bloody scene!"

"He's right, ya know." Anabelle spoke softly from beside George.

George eyed Alicia. She was as red and winded as he was. All he really wanted to do was get up from the table and leave this idiotic idea in the shadows. He was embarrassed, angry, and most of all a tad guilty that he had said those things about her in front of Oliver. He kept quiet as Alicia grabbed her drink and took a large sip. His eyebrows rose slightly as she chugged a bit more down and he silently wondered if she'd be throwing up on Oliver tonight.

"What are you staring at?" She shot him a dirty look as she slammed the glass back down on the table.

"Not a single thing…" He turned his attention from her and focused on Anabelle as she too shot him a dirty look. Leaning into her he placed his lips by her ear and whispered. " don't you start with me too." Anabelle just held her hands up in the air in defense and kept her mouth zipped shut.

"So…" Oliver downed the rest of his drink and quickly thought of the best way to change the subject. " Anabelle, how'd you end up meeting Weasley?"

George smiled. It was about time he could kick his plan in action. Giving Anabelle a slight nudge with his foot under the table, he folded his hands in front of him and waited. Anabelle would definitely not disappoint him.

"Oh my, I don't even know where to start!" She threw her hand dramatically to her chest. "You see my younger brother Spencer has this incredible fascination with jokes and gags and such. One afternoon he begged me to take him into this joke shop that his friends had been telling him about. Of course I had no idea who George was at the time, but when we walked in and George learned Spencer was going into his third year at Hogwarts they just clicked. Spencer started telling him all this stories about pulling jokes on Professors, and George offered him some free merchandise. I was so completely floored by how generous George was, not to mention good looking, " she looked up to him and winked, " that I decided to ask him out for a cup of tea after work. From then we just hit it off." Alicia watched as Anabelle placed her tiny hand delicately on top of George's. "Right, Georgie?"

And what happened next seemed to occur in slow motion.

Alicia's eyes remained glued to George as he gave a short nod to Anabelle's question. She watched as he took her hands within his own and turned to face her fully. Her own heart snapped as he tenderly reached up and brushed a few strands of hair from Anabelle's eyes. She was certain he mumbled something about her being beautiful, but her mind was too far away for it to register in her brain. Her entire body tensed as he leaned over, his hands cupping her chin, and processed to press his lips against hers. Alicia's eyes were frozen on the scene and suddenly the drink she had finished was beginning to rise in the back of her throat.

The display was killing her. And she knew he knew it. That's what made it hurt all the more. It felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her, and with every fiber of her being she struggled to regain the breath that she just couldn't find. It was just too much.

Without offering any sort of explanation she stood from the table and bolted straight for the door.

"Alicia!" Oliver shot up from his seat as he watched his date dodge a few people by the front door. He wasn't sure what it was that set her off, but he had figured it was a mixture of everything that had happened within the last five minutes. Whatever it was, he needed to get to her. He needed to make sure she was all right.

Reaching into the pockets of his trousers he pulled out a few coins and dropped them onto the table. George and Anabelle were finally parting from their kiss, and Oliver couldn't help but notice the flicker of guilt that seemed to pass through George's eyes. " I'm leaving some money for the tab and Endora. See that she gets it, ok." He stood silent for a moment, unsure whether or not to address the unusual display that had unfolded before him, but Anabelle easily changed his mind when she offered her hand to bid him good night.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Oliver." She waited as he took her hand and gave it shake. " Please tell Alicia it was a pleasure as well. I wish she hadn't run off so quick…I do hope she's all right." Anabelle craned her neck towards the door in search of Alicia.

"I'm sure she's fine. Alicia's a tough girl." Oliver smirked. "Well then, good night Weasley." His departure was brief and almost cold, and George felt the urge to shoot him the finger as Oliver made his way towards the door.

"Stop that!" Anabelle hissed and slapped his hand down quickly. Which happened to be perfect timing as Oliver gave one last turn and wave before pushing through the door. They both gave an awkward sort of wave and as soon as he was gone they both leaned back and sighed.

"Well that went better then expected." George folded his arms triumphantly across his chest.

"I cant believe you did that!" Anabelle began hitting him rapidly on the shoulder. " First of all you never said you were going to kiss me! Gods you are such a prat sometimes!" Reaching into the bag she had brought with her she pulled out a tiny mirror and began rubbing her lips with her hand furiously. "Merlin now I have Weasley germs."

"Tell me again why you haven't found any work yet?" George rolled his eyes. " you have got to be the biggest drama queen this side of London."

"You are just lucky that I happen to be a professional in desperate need of money…" Holding out her hand she rubbed her fingers together. "Which I'm waiting for." She grinned as George tossed her a bag that was obviously full of coins due to the heavy clinking sound when it hit the table. Squealing slightly she opened that bag and slowly began counting the contents. " Ya know, Georgie…if I knew we'd be breaking that poor girls heart I would have said no to this."

"I know you would have…that's why I didn't say anything." George's eyes had yet to leave the front door since Alicia's quick get away.

"I think when you kissed me I heard her heart shatter… that can't be too good." She shook her head as she counted up the last few coins. " but on the plus side at least you know you can still get to her."

"Yeah at least I know." He sighed, shaking his head from side to side and turning his attention back to the drama queen beside him. " You really were a master piece tonight, Ana. You improvise like that enough and some stage manager will be knocking down doors to get to you." Kissing her temple he watched her face light up.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Anabelle grinned. " Well in that case I better get home and get some rest. An actress needs her beauty sleep." She chuckled as she slipped out of the booth.

Following her closely, George stood up beside her and wrapped his arms around her frame. "Thank you so much for doing this last minute for me. I owe ya big time for this one."

"Don't worry about it." She smiled as he pulled away from her. "Just promise me that once I'm famous you'll come see me in a show."

He grinned. " Now that I can definitely promise. Good night, Ana."

"Night Georgie." And with a wink and a pop, Anabelle was gone.

George stood alone in the middle of the pub and ran his fingers through his hair. Everything had gone the way he planned it too, hadn't it? He made Alicia jealous by bringing Anabelle. Hopefully he scared off Oliver enough to let Alicia alone, and most off all he had seen how heartbroken she got when she saw him kiss another witch.

Which of course could only mean one thing.

The corners of his lips began to twitch and he couldn't hold back the growing smile. "I still have a chance…"

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Wow that was a long chapter for me, lol. I hope you liked it!

Thank you so much for reading! Now be little dears and leave me a review….please!


	13. Curiosity Will Kill You

Woohoo! You guys are awesome! I love you all! Guess what? I started a C2 community for our favorite six characters. If your interested in becoming a staff member or just have an awesome fic including one of these splendid six just let me know! I'm way excited about it…maybe too excited.

Anyway I want to thank: **satinzevi89, CarbonMonoxide , Lady Mione, ins pins, KitKat001, Ronshotchick, harrysmom, Clueless Bystander, Oliverwoodschic, Jade Necklace ,Twisted Little Star, mrsgweasley, Rain Feathers,** and **OreoLine00**! You guys are so awesome and I really really appreciate your feedback!

I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. Not much happens mostly because it's just leading up to some important events (aka fluff) in the next chapter.

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 13 - Curiosity Will Kill You

Alicia looked down at the crimson red gown that seemed to fit perfectly against her body. To be honest she was afraid that Angelina was going to pick some god awful bridesmaid nightmare, but when the woman at the store came out with these gowns she had nearly died. They were stunning. The top of the dress was fashioned into a strapless corset like structure, but not as binding as an old fashioned kinds were. She supposed the silk material had aided in that department. As the dress slinked down her body it began to fan out slightly towards the bottom until a small train drifted down her back. What made the train so lovely were these tiny white pearls that were sewn into the material. It was absolutely gorgeous, and the fact that they were the same Gryffindor red that they had lived with for seven years brought back a wave of memories.

"So he brought you to the lake to calm you down? Lift your arm." Katie reached around Alicia and pinched the extra material hanging from her maid of honor dress. " It's too big right here so this material needs to go." She shook the material between her two fingers.

Alicia winced as Katie pinched a bit of her skin. "Ow you prat!" Swatting at Katie's hand she sighed. "Yeah after I made a complete fool of myself by running out of there Oliver thought we should go somewhere to talk. It was nice." She smiled at the recollection.

"Did he take advantage of you while you were in your mourning state?" Angelina chuckled as the woman, whom Alicia was introduced to as Helga, took the final measurements of her body. "Make sure you don't measure the chest too short, I could barely breathe last time I tried it on."

"Why do you insist on being so dirty all the time?" Alicia shot Angelina a look but shrugged after a moment. "Actually we kissed."

"What!" Both Katie and Angelina spun in her direction.

"Miss Johnson! I suggest you stay still unless you enjoy being pricked." Helga held up the sowing needle and waved it towards Angelina's face.

"Angelina loves to be pricked." Alicia smirked and Angelina just stuck her tongue out.

"Would you shut up and tell us what happened!" Katie grabbed the other side of Alicia's dress and marked off the spot where Helga needed to take it in.

There was a second of regret as Alicia stood before her two friends. When she had arrived back at Katie's the previous evening she had thought about not telling anyone what had happened with Oliver. It had been special, magical. It had been something that she had rarely experienced with anyone, and for Alicia that was certainly saying something. Plus he had completely understood everything she was feeling with George. So much in fact that he had promised not to push her into anything unless she was feeling comfortable with the situation. Which was precisely when she kissed him. It hadn't been anything terribly romantic, and now when she thought back to it she was sure that her eyes had remained open for about five seconds. Still it was soft and sweet, and when he had reached down to take her face in his hands thoughts of George had suddenly taken a backburner in her life.

They had held hands and walked along the shore of the lake while each of them took turns talking about their life over the last few years. Of course she had kept her mouth shut about the sudden firing from the magazine, but even so she didn't think that Oliver would have made fun of her much. He had truly changed from the time they spent together back in school. To be honest, if he kept this up she could definitely see herself falling hard for him, but there was something still pressing in the back of her mind. Oh right, George. Even when he wasn't around he had to screw things up for her.

"It was nothing, really." She began as Helga moved from Angelina to Katie. " I decided that if Oliver and I were ever going to get anywhere that I needed to explain everything to him. So I told him about George. I just let it all out in the open and ya know what…he told me it didn't matter. He told me that he had romantic situations that were far worse, and that you cant harp on the past." She grinned. "So I kissed him."

"And?" Angelina quirked an eyebrow as she stepped behind the curtain to finally try on her wedding dress.

A loud scream from the back of the store caused Angelina to peek out from behind the curtain and the other two girls to whip around.

"Angelina Johnson you had to go and pick red!" Ginny Weasley emerged from the back of the store with a scowl. "Do you see how this dress clashes with my hair! I look like a sodding tomato!" Her arms were flailing around in such an erratic matter that Alicia took a step back so as not to get hit by the mad woman.

"Calm down Gin you look positively fine." Hermione appeared behind the frantic girl and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"That's easy for you to say! You look gorgeous in red. I on the other hand look like a goddamn murder scene!" Tossing her hands up in the air Ginny dropped down into the chair that was placed in the middle of the room.

Alicia smirked at the youngest Weasley. "Oh come on Ginny you look beautiful. Stop fishing for compliments." She winked.

"Shut up, Alicia." Ginny spat but couldn't hide the tiny grin that had appeared on her face. "Hey how come your dress has pearls on it?"

"I'm the maid of honor." She sarcastically boasted. " Only high class for little old me."

"No fair! You don't even like dresses." Ginny folded her arms across her chest.

"Gown, Ginny, gown" Alicia corrected with a smirk.

"Oh please shut up!" The red headed girl giggled lightly. Gods how Ginny had missed her brothers best friend.

"No no no!" Katie piped up. "Alicia can't shut up because she needs to finish telling us her _love _story." Alicia groaned. " Oh like you thought you'd be able to get out of it." Katie waggled her finger in front of Alicia's face.

"What happened to Alicia?" Ginny suddenly perked up in her chair.

"Ginny sit properly or you are going to ruin that dress." Hermione snapped as she stepped out of the crimson gown.

"Sorry mum." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Come on Ali, tell us? What happened? You make up with George or something."

Angelina and Katie winced.

However Alicia just shook her head with a smile. "No Gin, actually we were talking about my date with Oliver. I was just about to spill the potion on how well he kisses." She smirked.

Ginny's mouth fell open into a large round 'Oh'.

"So it was grand then?" Katie lifted her arms as Helga pinned up the back of her dress.

"It was great." Alicia replied with a little bit of doubt in her voice.

Truly it was. Just the thought of the kiss made her heart race a little faster, and her face turn a rosy color. Yet suddenly she was feeling a tad down about the whole situation. She assumed it had something to do with Ginny's reaction. Ginny had always been so adamant about Alicia getting together with George. When they were younger they used to joke about how much fun it would be when they were sister-in-laws. Alicia would share her secret fantasies about growing up and marrying her brother, and Ginny would cover her mouth and giggle furiously when George would sit next to Alicia at the dinner table. Now, well those days had certainly come and gone, but it wasn't until just now that Alicia realized how much Ginny was effected by it.

"I'm gonna go take this blasted thing off and head over to Neville's. I need to pick him up before tonight." Ginny got up from the chair and rushed across the room.

"What's tonight?" Alicia called after her, but Ginny was already out of earshot.

"The Burrow." Angelina called out from behind the curtain. " Didn't anyone tell you that the Weasley's were having a huge dinner for everyone? I'm surprised George didn't say anything to you last night."

Alicia's heart sank. Dinner at the Burrow didn't sound as grand as it used to. Maybe she could bring Oliver in order to cover up her confusing emotions towards George. Yeah that was a grand idea! She'd owl Oliver and see if he wanted to join her.

"Don't even think about it." Katie threw a shoe at her.

Knocking her directly in the back, Alicia squealed. "Think about what?" She threw the shoe back.

"We know what you are thinking, Ali." Angelina called out from behind the curtain still. "You can't ask him."

"How do you know what I'm thinking. I could very well be thinking about how this dress makes me look fat." She placed her hands on her hips. "Or maybe I was thinking about how inconsiderate Katie was last night when she didn't put any silencing charms on her room."

Katie blushed. "Sod off."

"Don't change the subject, we still know what you were thinking." Came the voice from behind the curtain.

Hermione stared between Katie and Alicia with a quizzical expression. "You three are far too strange. Angie…" She called out, " I'm going to take my dress off. Helga said mine fit perfectly so I'm going to head out of here. I'll see you all later." She smiled softly at the girls.

"You sure you don't want to take that home and model it for Ron?" Alicia, who was now throwing multiple shoeboxes at Katie, looked over at Hermione.

"Nah, if she wore that home for Ron they wouldn't be making it to dinner tonight." Katie chuckled as she hurled the boxes back at Alicia. "Watch this!" She wound up and wailed the box at the curtain. Angelina screamed out in rage.

"What the hell! Alicia I'm going to kill you!"

"That wasn't even me!" Alicia looked over at Katie who was desperately trying to suppress her laughter. Alicia grinned and wailed her own box towards Angelina. " But that one was. Hurry up in there would ya!"

"You three are idiots, I swear!" Hermione said as she tried to cover up the obvious blush in her cheeks. "No wonder you hung around those three wankers."

"I hope you aren't referring to us, Mione." Fred and Lee sauntered into the shop and received many harsh looks from Helga who was busy placing Ginny's dress back on the rack.

"Of course I am. Look how you've influenced the girls." Hermione gestured towards Katie and Alicia who were still tossing boxes back and forth at each other.

"We never taught them that." Lee quirked an eyebrow as a box came hurling towards his face. "Those be their chaser skills." Hermione just shook her head as Lee cupped his hands around his mouth. "Nice toss Felicia!" Another box came hurling towards him and he ducked in the last second.

"Thank Merlin Ron didn't receive some of your genes." Hermione shook her head and spun on her heel. "I'll see you all tonight." With that she swept across the room and disappeared into the back room to change out of her dress.

"What are you doing here, Fred? You know you shouldn't see the bride in her gown before the wedding." Katie stepped down off the stool as Helga had finally moved on to Alicia.

"Yeah well I never was one for following rules. Angie get out here so I can see your dress."

"It's not a dress it's a bridal gown you prat!" This was followed by a huff and Angelina went silent again.

"Dress, gown, same thing." Fred waved his hand casually through the air. "So you ladies prepared for a fun filled evening at the Weasley estate?" His eyes mostly focused on Alicia but he didn't allow himself to make it too obvious. "Maybe we can get a quick game in before dinner?" Shuffling his body from left to right he mimicked a few old beater swings. "Or we can head up to our old room and test out some new products Georgie and I have worked on. We got this little bugger that George pulled out from the shelves yesterday." Fred reached into his pocket and pulled out the black little disk. "We could definitely have loads of fun with this."

"I'm almost done!" Angelina yelled out but it was immediately drowned out by a crash coming from behind the curtain. The group of them snickered. "I can hear you all very clearly." She grunted and again went silent.

Alicia craned her neck as Helga finished up the last few stitches on her dress. "I can't see…what do you have?"

"I remember those!" Lee grabbed it from Fred's hand and held it up high enough so Alicia could see. "You wanted to market them to parents, right?" He shook his head and tossed it back to Fred. "I still think it would have been better if you put some itching powder in them. Thus when they stick they will eventually explode and viola…" Lee grinned. " It would be hilarious."

"I don't think I've ever seen these before." Katie scrunched her nose. " What are they?"

"Eh, something George had been fooling around with. Concocted this whole map and everything. They work as some sort of homing device." He shrugged. "Basically you toss them at something, or someone, and then you can keep track of them on this map we have back at the shop. We were supposed to do something with them a few months ago, but we just put them on the back shelf for awhile." Shoving the disk back into his pocket he eventually shrugged. " but I stopped by the shop last night and they were out on the front desk. I guess George was playing around with them."

"Miss Spinnet!"

"Oh Merlin, I'm sorry Helga!" Alicia, who had been holding the pin basket for Helga, had let the blasted thing fall upon the poor woman's head. It wasn't a coincidence at all! He had used one of those bloody devices on her, and tracked them down at the bar. It made perfect sense!

"Ali, you don't look too good." Lee pointed up at her. "You look like you just remembered something terribly important that you completely forgot to do….or you have to go to the loo real bad." He nodded as though the two choices made perfect sense to him.

Katie just whacked him on the back of the head.

"It's nothing." Alicia shook her head as Helga finished. "Here Helga." She handed the woman the basket of materials and stepped down off of the stool. "Where is George, by the way? I needed to ask him something." She flickered her gaze between Fred and Lee.

Fred shrugged. " I haven't seen him all morning." He looked over at Lee.

"Don't look at me. I was busy this morning." He grinned at Katie who just turned another shade of red. " I don't have time to play babysitter to George." He moved around Katie and slung his arm across Alicia's shoulders. "What's it matter to you anyway? Wanna kiss and make up?"

Alicia completely avoided the question and turned back towards the curtain. " Angelina hurry up in there."

"Tell Fred to leave!" She yelled.

"Oh just come out, Angie." Fred leaned against a mannequin and wrapped his arm around it. "We all want to see you."

"You are ruining tradition, Frederick!"

Lee made a face. "Geez man, she used your full name. That's never a good sign." Fred nodded in agreement.

Angelina growled in frustration. "Fred Weasley if you don't leave I will happily tell your mother that it was you who put the fireworks in last weeks casserole!"

Fred snorted. "Fine fine we're leaving." He leaned over towards Lee and whispered, "Gods sometimes I don't know who is more vindictive, Angelina or my mother."

"You can sleep at your own flat again tonight!"

Lee broke out into laughter. "Keep this up Fred and there wont be a wedding."

"Yeah yeah, come on." Fred grabbed Lee by the collar and gave a short wave to the girls. " We'll see you guys in a bit." They gave a tiny nod to Helga and disappeared through the front door of the shop.

"Are they gone?" Came Angelina's voice again.

"As far as we can tell." Alicia, still seething about George's antics, glanced towards the door. "Just come out so we can go to the burrow."

'So I can beat George to a bloody pulp.'

The curtain drew back and Angelina stepped out before her friends. Both Katie and Alicia squealed with delight. She had chosen a creamy white instead of the traditional plain white, and it only brought out the luscious color of her skin even more. The sleeves pushed down slightly over the shoulders and dropped down into a very elegant v-neck. Of course nothing compared to the bodice of the gown. It was tight and form fitting down to the knee where it eventually fanned out to look almost like a mermaid.

"Spin around, Angie!" Katie whirled her hand in a clockwise motion.

When she turned the back of the dress also plunged down into the same v-neck as the front, but what made it stand out was how the train of the dress began at the point. It flowed down her back and trailed a good two feet behind her. Tiny flowers were embroidered along the train and sparkled when the light hit them just right. Angelina turned to face her friends with a grin.

"So how do I look?" Her smile widened across her face.

"Eh, kinda like you are getting married." Alicia shrugged but only a second ticked by before she ran across the room and embraced her friend. " Angie you look stunning!"

From behind her, Katie spoke " And the material, what is it satin?" She reached around Alicia and groped at the material.

"Yeah, I got it for a good price too!" She beamed. "You think Fred will like it?"

Both girls nodded their head in unison.

"He's going to positively die!" Katie squealed again and clapped her hands repeatedly.

"He might not even make it through the entire ceremony without snogging you in front of the guests." Alicia waggled her eyebrows but stopped once Angelina hit her.

"That's enough filth from your mouth." Angelina grinned and lifted her hands above her head. "Can you help me out of this thing. It was easy enough to get on but off…"She made a face.

"Turn some more." Alicia motioned for her to spin so she could reach the zipper. "Ya know…" She began as she undid the gown. " if the boys were here I'm sure we'd be living out their fantasies right about now." She pulled the zipper completely down and chuckled.

"Alicia you have sex on your mind far more than a normal girl should." Katie reached for her bag that contained her regular clothes. "I'm going to go change."

"Oh please Katie like you and Lee didn't stay up all night doing the deed. I heard you!" Alicia called out after her friend. "Besides I only talk about it because I'm the lonely desperate single witch here!"

"I'm not hearing you!" Katie yelled out over her shoulder before heading into the back room.

Angelina dropped the gown down around her ankles and stretched. "God that thing is bloody binding!" She adjusted the little white slip that clung to her body.

"Hey maybe you should put something on before one of the boys decides to make another grand entrance." Alicia pointed to what Angelina was wearing and chuckled.

Dropping her gaze along the silky slip, Angelina felt her face go red when she realized how revealing the material was. "Heh, right. I'm going to change anyway. You should do the same that way we can all just floo to the Weasley's together."

"Good idea." She reached for her own bag that contained her clothes. " I have some business I need to discuss with a red-headed prat." She frowned.

"Well hurry." Angelina pointed to the room where Katie made off to, and then slipped back behind the curtain she occupied before.

Alicia sighed and slung the bag over her shoulder. If in fact George had followed her to the bar, what the hell was she going to do? Say? It had taken all of her might not to cry in front of him last night, but she wasn't sure what the hell she'd be able to refrain from at the burrow without Oliver leaning over her shoulder.

"Oh hey, the rooms all clear for you." Katie stepped out from the backroom wearing a fresh tank top and a cute jean skirt. "I'm going to go wait by the floo." She smiled and then pushed by Alicia before she could even answer.

Maybe she didn't want to go tonight. Why didn't anyone suspect that? Was it really that hard for them to understand how hard it was to be in the same room with a man that still captured her heart? Did they even know how much it killed her to see him kiss another woman at the bar last night? They were all blind to it, and Alicia was growing tired.

"Merlin's gray beard, help me." She shook her head and reached into her bag as she stepped into the back room.

Pulling out the pair of jeans she brought she suddenly wished that she hadn't taken the ones with the holes in the knees. Of course she could charm the holes away, but she loved the jeans the way they were. Oh well. Sliding them over her hips she reached back into the bag and slipped her wand into the pocket. She needed it in a quick reach in case she decided George deserved a hex or two. Giggling she grabbed the dark green tee and slipped it over her head. It was old, and a bit tight across her chest, but the color had always made her feel completely calm. Which was definitely something she would need if she was going to confront George tonight.

"Alicia, we are going to floo without you if you don't hurry up!" She heard Angelina call from the other side.

"Give me a second." She shoved some of her things back into her bag and hung the maid of honor dress on the rack where Ginny and Hermione had hung theirs earlier.

"We are going." Katie sang out rather obnoxiously.

"Hold on!" Alicia yelled out through gritted teeth.

But by the time Alicia hitched her bag on her shoulder and ran out of the room with her shoes still in her hands, the two girls were disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Impatient wenches." She rolled her eyes and crossed towards the fireplace. "Thanks for everything Helga. I left my dress in the back room by the other two." She grabbed some of the powder as Helga gave her a grin and a nod.

"See you in a few day's Miss Spinnet." Helga put down a few sewing supplies and disappeared into the back room.

Alicia looked down at the green powder in her hand and stepped into the fireplace. "Oh dear god may the heavens be kind to me tonight." Taking a deep breath she threw the powder down and shouted. "The Burrow!" And with a puff she felt her body whirl through the network.

She had never been a fan of flooing, but couldn't deny that it was a lot safer then apparating. Especially when her head wasn't in the right place. Hell she didn't need half her body ending up at the burrow and the other half in god knows where. With her eyes pressed shut she waited for the moment when her body would be thrown from the network.

Then it came, and she felt her body thrust forward

With her eyes still pressed shut she lost her footing and felt her body go forward. She waited for the hard floor to hit her, but after a full minute without feeling any pain she opened one eye slowly. A pair of arms had caught her. A pair of very familiar arms.

Looking up her words caught in her throat. Suddenly the anger she had been holding inside of her washed away and was replaced with the images of the previous night. She wondered if he had taken her home last night. She wondered if he had held her against him like Oliver had done to her. She wondered if she was at the burrow right now waiting for him to return to her in the kitchen. The curiosity was positively killing her.

"You always could make an entrance, Ali." George looked down at her with a smirk before helping her to her feet and then leaving her alone in the sitting room.

* * *

Well that wasn't too obvious, was it? Hehehe. This was a linking chapter so we could get to the fluff that will be coming in the following chapter. That's right, fluff. Lots of it! And it's about bloody time too!

I hope you all have enjoyed this fic so far. I really am having a blast writing it, but ya know what would make me get the next chapter up even faster….some reviews! Please leave one and let me know what you think. You really have no idea how much I appreciate them! Thanks again! Oh and please let me know if your interested in the C2 community. I'm looking for some staff! Thanks!


	14. I Just Wanna Believe In Us

Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I was almost done with it a few days ago but got so angry with the way that it was going that I deleted the whole thing and started over. I don't think this turned out so bad, but oh well. Thanks so much for all the awesome reviews. You know I love you guys! Here are some thank yous that go out to old reviewers and some new ones.

FizzingWhizbeez , TheBrassPotato , AnnaOz , Heartstring , satinzevi89 , Lady Mione ,Amour-Lily , Jagged Epiphany , harrysmom , Lauren , Best Deception

Thank You!

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 14- I Just Wanna Believe In Us

"Don't you walk away from me!" Alicia folded her arms across her chest and marched after him. " I have a very serious situation that needs some clarifying, George Weasley!"

"Hey we were wondering when you'd get here." Katie's voice caused Alicia to halt.

Her friends sat smugly around the Weasley's kitchen table. Her eyes darted for a second to see if Anabelle had decided to attend the dinner, but the weight lifted from her shoulders when she saw George take a seat next to Lee. No Anabelle.

"Yeah well maybe if my friends weren't such prats we could have all arrived on time together!" She scowled in the general direction of Katie and Angelina.

Fred smirked and slinked his arm around Angelina's shoulder. "What's this serious situation, Ali?" He glanced at his twin who opted to shrug.

" My problems with George are quite personal." She glared at him.

"Sounds kinky." Lee chuckled but stopped when George threw a dirty dishtowel at him.

The Weasley kitchen looked relatively the same as always, and Alicia maneuvered herself around the large kitchen table in order to grab the only empty seat. A large bowl sat on the table and was happily stirring itself when she picked it up and moved it to the counter so it was out of her way. Each seat at the table was a different shape and color and Alicia felt her smile go wide when she sat down in the plush purple armchair that had always been her favorite. She was glad that Mrs. Weasley had never thrown the old thing out.

"Alicia!" Speaking of Molly, the round and jolly woman came into the kitchen and picked up the bowl that Alicia had moved. " So good to see you again, dear. I'm glad to see you made it." The large spoon stopped stirring as Molly emptied the contents into a dish.

"Wouldn't miss a good old fashioned Weasley dinner for the world." She spoke softly. It was dinner's like these that used to make her jump for joy in the past. These were the days she'd spend hours on end with George until dinner was ready. After dinner they'd go for a walk and George would tell her all his plans for the future joke shop. She missed those days.

"Well that's good to hear. Seems like only yesterday you and Ginny would be out back with the boys playing a round of Quidditch before dinner. Which reminds me-" The woman turned to the lot of them and shook the spoon. " why don't you kids head outside while I finish up in here. No use sitting around waiting while your still so young and spry." Molly let out a tiny giggle. "Besides Harry and Ron are out back and I'm sure they'd love to play."

Lee pounded his hand down on the table. "I call commentator!"

"Lee, you always call commentator." Katie shot up from the table.

"Don't crack jokes at me woman!" Lee called after her as they both left the kitchen.

"Well if Lee's commentator then I'm sticking to beater." Fred followed in step behind Katie and Lee.

"Me too!" George waved his arm around like a five year old and Alicia rolled her eyes.

"Chaser!" Angelina moved from the table so quickly that she knocked over the chair and stumbled to her feet. "Come on Leesh!" She reached for Alicia's hand and yanked the girl to her feet.

"Oh Alicia." Both girls paused and turned towards Molly again. " Ginny had some things to show you. I think you'll find her up in her room if you wanted to stop there first." Returning to her dinner preparations she turned her back on the girls.

"You go out and play and I'll catch up when I'm done with Gin." Dropping Angelina's hand she gave a nod towards the door. "Go on, I'll be out in a bit."

"Fine, but you better be prepared to go up against some tough competition." Angelina flexed her right arm. Alicia just burst out laughing and Angelina gave her a whack. "Laugh now, Spinnet." She snarled and then spun on her heel and headed outside.

Alicia took a breath to slow her laughing and made her way up the staircase towards the bedroom she had spent some of the best parts of her life in. Climbing the stairs she took a jump over the eighth step after recalling how it sometimes gave out without any warning. Suddenly she felt like she was fourteen all over again.

"Gin wait up!" She panted slightly as she tried to keep up with the youngster.

"Come on Ali! I have to show you this!" Ginny looked over her shoulder and laughed at Alicia who was obviously having trouble keeping up. "How do you keep up with Fred and George if you can't even keep up with me!"

"Sod off, Ginny!" Alicia reached the staircase and began to take them two at a time to keep up.

"Watch the eighth!" But Ginny's words came too late as Alicia hit the eighth step and felt it give out completely.

She screamed, her arms flying out in front of her as her body began to fall backwards. She heard a bit of thudding behind her and gave out a shriek as two arms slipped under her armpits and restrained her from falling. Her voice was caught in her throat, and she felt a few tears fall down her cheeks as Ginny bolted down the stairs.

"Oh gods Ali, are you ok?" Alicia just nodded, and remained unaware of the mysterious hero behind her. "You are terribly lucky George was here to catch you."

Alicia felt her heart stop beating. George? Glancing over her shoulder she looked up into a pair of eyes that were simply beaming with pride. "You owe me your life, Ali." He winkled. " I expect you to be groveling on your feet when I say so."

"Oh you wish Weasley!" Her words came out sort of raspy and stammered, but she stood up straight and pushed by Ginny. "Come on Gin lets get upstairs before George's ego blows up his head and blocks us from getting by."

" Come on how about one little kiss as a repayment." He pointed to his cheek and Alicia felt her cheeks go bright red.

"I'd rather kiss a toilet seat!"

" Fred and I could arrange that." He smirked.

"I wish you let me fall." She scowled and pounded her feet back up the stairs.

"You're weakening, Ali."

She heard him chuckle as they entered Ginny's room and closed the door.

She was pretty sure that was the day she realized that she loved him. For awhile it had sat in the back of her head and she brushed it off as nothing, but after he caught her- she knew the feeling in her heart meant something. It was something that Ginny proceeded to tease her about for the next three years.

Pausing at the top of the staircase, Alicia lifted her arm and gave a knock on Ginny's door. "Gin, it's me."

"Come in!"

Alicia pushed open the door and grinned at Ginny who was sprawled out across her floor. Pictures scattered around her body and Alicia immediately sat beside her and started sifting through the photos. "Your mum told me to come and see you." She glanced down at one of Ginny and Charlie and chuckled as Charlie had picked Ginny up and tossed her in a puddle of mud. "Making an album or something?"

Picking herself up and tucking her legs beneath her, Ginny shook her head. "Nah, not really. My mum forced me to go through a few old boxes that I had stored away, and two of them were filled with old photos."

"I remember this one." Alicia pointed to a photo of Ron and Hermione under a tree in their backyard. "Remember how embarrassed he got when you told him you were going to put it up in the common room when school started up again."

Ginny grinned. " Course I do. I still use many of those techniques to blackmail the poor chump." She reached over and took the photo from Alicia. " but these aren't the reason why I asked you to come up here…" Reaching behind her she pulled out a stack of pictures and grinned. " these are for you. Ya know, in case you decide you wanna go back to Australia at least you'll have these to remember us by."

Alicia quirked her eyebrow as she took the bundle of photo's. "You thought I was going back?" Placing them in her lap she untied the ribbon that Ginny had fastened them with.

"I wasn't sure." She shrugged. " All that really crossed my mind was making sure you didn't forget us."

Picking up the top photo she grinned at her fourteen year old self. "Why didn't you ever tell me I looked like such a boy." She pointed to her ponytail and dirt covered face.

"Like you've changed." Ginny gave a tug on her ponytail.

"Oh my Merlin!" Alicia howled out in laughter. "Look at this!" She pulled out a picture of Ginny. "You used to be so cute! What were you like ten here?"

Grabbing the photo from a snickering Alicia, Ginny smiled. "I was eleven actually."

"Ah so this was the Harry stage."

"Shut up."

For a good twenty minutes the two girls went through the stack. Alicia laughed madly at every single photo. Some were from the school year, while others were during holidays. Alicia smiled as she recalled every memory that went along with the captured moments.

"These are so great, Gin." She placed down a picture of Charlie holding her in a headlock. " I cant believe you found-"

Her heart stopped.

The picture began to shake and it took her a second to realize that it was her hand that was shaking it. The two figures in the picture smiled back at her, and she felt her eyes begin to fill with the tears of eight long years.

"I remember this." Her finger traced lightly over the surface of the photo. " I didn't even know…you snapped this?" She stole a quick glance at Ginny who was smiling softly.

"I couldn't really help myself, ya know." She shrugged. " It was the same day-"

"I missed the eighth step." Her words fell quietly across the room. " I remember." She brought the photo inches from her face and watched as they ran around in circles in the backyard. The rain was pouring heavily down upon them, and she laughed as she recalled how cold the droplets had been on her face. It looked as though she didn't even mind in the picture. The grin on her face was beaming with such delight that she chuckled softly.

" I wasn't even sure if you'd want this photo, but I remember how you told me that you loved him that day…."

"And it was the same day we had that huge fight." She grinned. "so I stormed out into the rain and when he followed me out I tackled him to the ground." Right on cue she watched as her photo-self tackled George to the wet ground.

"I watched it all from the window." Ginny blushed. "and don't think I was spying or anything, but I was just concerned when you stormed out of the house in such a fit. When I saw that you two had made up…well the mood of the picture just seemed so perfect."

Her eyes remained glued to the photo. " We danced." She felt a tear roll down her cheek and slid off her chin. " Even in the rain, without any music, he asked me to dance with him" A small chuckle escaped her. "Oh and I was still so mad at him, but my heart just skipped a beat when he asked me." In the photo she watched as he rolled her over and rubbed her face in the mud. "Sometimes he was such a prat, and other times-" Her photo-self laughed as he lifted her to her feet. His photo image bowed and held out his hand. Giggling she took his hand and in the rain they danced. " other times he stole my heart."

Ginny kept quiet as Alicia watched the photo for what seemed like an eternity. She hadn't meant for the picture to upset Alicia, but it was obvious from the pain in her eyes that this photo was pulling up memories that had left a permanent impression on her soul. Each tear that fell was evidence to that. There was a instinct running inside Ginny to yank the photo from Alicia's hand before she went completely nutters staring at it, but by the time she had worked up enough courage to do it Alicia placed the photo down the front of her shirt.

"This really means more to me then you could ever know, Gin. Thank you." Throwing her arms around Ginny, Alicia squeezed her with every ounce of strength that she had.

"Anytime, Ali." Ginny pressed her eyes closed and grinned. She didn't think there could ever be a better time to give her friend that special picture. For some reason it felt like this moment had been the perfect opportunity, and perhaps- well perhaps it would bring about some serious realization for the two daft wankers. After all it was evident that the two were still head over heels for each other. All they needed was that tiny little push. Ginny hoped she had pushed hard enough.

"Girls!" Molly Weasley's voice carried up the stairs and into Ginny's room which caused both girls to pull back from the hug.

"What mum?" Ginny yelled so obnoxiously loud that Alicia cringed.

"You girls have been up there for far too long. The others are done playing, and we are just about to sit for supper. Come down and join us." Her voice carried off and both girls assumed that she had gone outside for dinner.

"Come on, if we don't hurry up the boys will eat all the food." She rolled her eyes and pushed herself up from the floor.

Together the two girls hurried down the staircase, Alicia's hand placed lightly over her breast where the picture sat snugly. She'd would have normally placed it in her pocket, but the chance that someone would see it was far greater then if she placed it beneath her blouse. Suddenly she halted.

"Ginny I haven't seen your brothers in years. This is going to be so weird." Her face was flushed and Ginny snickered.

"Nah don't worry about it. What's the worst that could happen?" Grabbing her hand Ginny pulled her through the door and into the backyard. All heads turned in their direction, and Alicia suddenly felt very exposed to the entire Weasley family.

"Oh my gods, look at little Ali." Charlie Weasley got up from his seat and bounded around the long picnic table. Taking her in his very large arms he cracked her back and grinned. " Baby Spinnet it's been so long." with that he proceeded to put her in a headlock. Oh how things just never change.

"Charlie!" Molly yelled firmly. "Place Alicia down this instant."

"Mum I haven't seen her in years!" He still hadn't let her go from the headlock and Alicia desperately tried to squirm her way out of it.

"Charlie, now!" This was all that was needed for Charlie to let her go and place her gently back on the ground.

"It's good to see ya kid." He ruffled her hair and smirked.

"Kid? Merlin Charlie I'm twenty five." She gave him a shove. "What are you now, thirty? You old man…" She burst into a fit of giggles as Charlie swatted at her ponytail wit ha bit of a grumble.

"Come on now, come on now…." Molly waved the three of them towards the table. "Lets get to eating before the weather turns sour."

Alicia glanced up at the sky and frowned at a few dark rolling clouds. She felt Ginny give her a shove and snapping back into reality she approached the long table that seemed to be filled with snickering faces. Her eyes darted from seat to seat and she watched as Ginny quickly sat beside Neville and Charlie reclaimed his seat in between Bill and Harry.

The sodding idiots.

She glared at Angelina who was wiping tears away from her eyes. Fred shoved a piece of roll into his mouth and rubbed the empty seat beside him. "Grab a seat, Ali." He stifled the rest of his laughter by shoving the remainder of the roll into his mouth. The only two who seemed to be unaffected by the humor in this situation were Mr and Mrs. Weasley. Though she supposed they never really understood what happened with George. So when she sat down into the seat beside Fred she casually glanced to her left and noticed a satisfied look on George's face. From across the table Ginny, Lee and Katie kept their eyes glued down to their plates in order to refrain from bursting into laughter themselves.

Gits.

Even Hermione, Ron and Harry thought the situation was humorous, and when Bill leaned over to ask Harry what the situation was Alicia just looked down the table at them and glared. Suddenly the rain seemed very inviting.

"Well don't just sit there…dig in." Molly reached for a bowl full of salad and piled some on her plate.

"Come on Ali, eat something." Fred snickered again and Alicia reached under the table and dug her nails into his knee. "Ow!"

"You are so lucky your parents are in our presence right now." She hissed in his ear.

"Angie, would you control your maid of honor. She's threatening me." Fred whispered in Angelina's direction but she was too busy talking to Fleur who was sitting on her other side. "Angelina!" Fred yelled in her ear, and as Angelina jumped slightly in her seat she lifted another roll and shoved in into his mouth.

"Gff I loff ur semtems." He spoke with the roll still shoved in his mouth.

"What?"

"I think he said 'God I love her sometimes.'" George piped up next to her but she pretended not to hear him. He just rolled his eyes and reached for another piece of chicken.

Alicia sighed and turned her attention back to her empty plate. Even though she suddenly had no desire to eat she supposed she had to have something so Molly wouldn't feel awful. If only Ginny hadn't shown her that picture before dinner sitting beside George wouldn't be so bloody difficult.

"So Alicia " Her head perked up at her name and she leaned a bit over the table towards Harry.

"Yes Harry?" Gods the last time she had spoken to him was right before her last day at Hogwarts. He had certainly grown.

"Angelina was telling us how your currently seeing, Wood." Alicia felt her face pale. "How is the bloke? Still a ruddy drill sergeant when it comes to Quidditch?"

Alicia felt her eyes go wide and she shot Angelina a look. Angelina just shrugged and forked a heaping mound of mashed potatoes into her mouth. "Uh, yes I, well you see Angelina set me up on a date with him and we've only really gone out twice."

"Wood? Really, now?" Charlie spoke up beside Harry. " Would have never guess you and Wood becoming an item." SHe noticed how Charlies eyes flickered towards George for a brief second. " I hope those rumors aren't true then for your sake." He lifted the drumstick from his plate and took a huge bite of chicken.

"What rumors, dear?" Molly quirked her eyebrow.

"Yes, please, what rumors?" Alicia reached for a roll and felt her hand clasp down on another. Her eyes shot to the bread basket and she quickly retracted it when she noticed it was George's. He just grinned and she turned her attention back to Charlie.

"Oh you know…the rumors." He rolled his hand in front of his face.

"Yeah but he denied those rumors ages ago." Angelina piped up and then quickly shut her mouth as Alicia gave her the patented death-stare.

"You knew about rumors!" Alicia yelled out in a tone that made the entire table jump. "Why'd you let me go out with him if there were rumors! Wait…what are the rumors." She heard George chuckle beside her. "Butterfly George." She pointed across the table and smirked as George jumped slightly in his seat. At least that shut him up.

Charlie swallowed the lump that had formed in the back of his throat. All eyes were focused on him as he took a long sip of juice. Alicia's fingers were tapping nervously on the picnic table.

"Wait are these the gay rumors?" Lee nonchalantly spoke up from across the table.

"What?" Voiced every person at the table. Well minus Fred who had proceeded to spit his pumpkin juice onto Neville.

"That's not the rumor I was talking about!" Charlie shook his head back and forth.

"Me either!" Angelina slammed her hand down onto the table.

"Oh." Lee shrugged and went back to eating his macaroni.

"Lee!" Alicia threw a roll across the table at him.

"What?" He spoke with a mouth full of macaroni.

"The rumors!" This came from Angelina's mouth who was a genuinely surprised as Alicia.

"Eh, I read in some magazine that Wood was having an affair with some fella. When they asked him about it he denied it. Caused an uproar too cause apparently he got a lot of threatening owls from people who didn't approve. Ya know how silly people get about things like that. " He rolled his eyes. " It cleared up though after a few months. A few people saw him with a couple of girls and the next day the pictures were plastered all over the Prophet." He shrugged again and went back to eating.

Alicia was silent but suddenly famished. She piled loads of food onto her plate in order to keep her mouth occupied so she wouldn't have to talk. Charlie on the other hand still shook his head.

"I was gonna bring up that rumor about him swindling money out of the league, geez." And with that the rest of dinner was finished with talk about the wedding.

* * *

"Which is why I chose to have one large section for guests instead of a bride and groom side." Angelina handed Molly another dirty bowl and watched as the woman charmed away the filth.

The other girls silently rolled their eyes and gagged at the topic of conversation. Which wasn't so awful when they first started talking about it, but you could only talk about wedding plans so long before going nuts. Unless you were Angelina of course. Alicia had been making faces at Katie, who had been throwing odd looks at Ginny, who was mimicking Angelina for anyone who would watch. The three girls were in silent hysterics while Angelina kept her back to the three of them. Which saved them from the wrath of Angie.

When the final bowl was placed away and Angelina had finally calmed down the wedding jabber, Alicia craned her neck and glanced out the window. The sky was growing darker by the minute, and she watched at the wind had slowly begun to pick up speed. The boys were seated in the other room doing typical cliché boy things, and the girls had opted to help Molly clean up for desert. Now with everything packed away she had some spare time before any cake was served.

"I'm gonna go outside for a bit." She placed her hands down on the surface of the table and pushed herself up.

"Want me to come with?" Katie arched her eyebrow.

Alicia felt the tip of the photo pressing against her skin and she quickly shook her head. "I'll be back in a few…just need some mental time."

"I'll give a call when desert is out, dear." Molly smiled so wide that her eyes became narrow slits. "Shouldn't be too long so don't go far."

Alicia nodded silently and then before any other questions could come her way she slipped out of the room and made her way into the backyard.

Land.

The one thing she had always loved about the burrow was the hills in the backyard and the endless green land. Some days she felt she could sprawl out onto her back and stare at the vast sky for hours on end. The top of the hill was always the best place for that. So she folded her arms across her chest and strolled across the grass towards the sloping hill. It wasn't a spectacular hill, but it dipped just enough that they used to have rolling contests when she was younger. Of course she always won.

Crossing her legs she sat down on the grass and tilted her head back to face the sky. The gray clouds were beginning to turn a darker shade, and she closed her eyes waiting for the storm to settle down upon her.

"You busy?"

Without opening her eyes she just sighed as she spoke. "Do you enjoy following me around?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" She felt him sit down beside her and she felt then it was only polite to sit up straighter and open her eyes.

"Oh don't play, George. It's why I was ticked when I got here." She shot him a look with her eyes narrowed, but when his expression didn't falter she just rolled her eyes. " I know about those stupid little disk things. Fred was telling me that he found a bunch of them out at the shop, and that you guys hadn't used them in months. Suddenly you find use for a tracking device, and show up on my date with Oliver in a sleazy bar?"

"Hey I like that bar!"

"That's not the point." She waved her hand back and forth. "The point is you followed me…you keep following me!"

George's expression still didn't waver. "Alicia I have no idea what Fred may have implied to you, but I didn't follow you with my devices. I'll have you know I used it in order to keep one of our delivered items secure on the map. We just sold a huge amount of fireworks to a big wig in France. I wanted to make sure they got there all right." Hell maybe he needed to become an actor. He needed to get a hold of Anabelle's agent.

Alicia, eyes still narrowed, lowered her guard for a minute. "So you are promising me that you didn't follow me last night?" The corner of the picture poked her again beneath her top. Her eyes went soft.

"Ali, I swear." He held up his right hand and crossed his heart.

"Fine." She averted her eyes from him and continued to stare out across the land.

"So what were you and Gin doing upstairs? We waited for you to play for awhile but then Angelina got cranky." He bent his knees and rested his chin down upon them.

"She had some things she wanted to show me. Some pictures from school and stuff." A clap of thunder sounded in the far distance and she wrapped her arms around her legs.

"Oh."

If there were any time she hated awkward silence, this was definitely one of those times. Especially with the damn picture poking her sending memories of what once was though her head.

"George…" She sounded like such a child.

"Yeah?" Another clap of thunder muffled his voice, but she distinctly heard the nervousness ring out.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. Ya know bringing up all that old stuff in front of Anabelle." She shifted her weight and finally turned to face him. " It really wasn't right of me."

"Two apologies from you within the last few days." He made a noise in the back of his throat. " Accepted….but only because I have to apologize too. I started it after all." Reaching out he gave her arm a nudge. "Guess we're even now or something."

The nervous hesitation was so thick between the two of them that Alicia took a very deep breath in order to keep composure. "Guess that was one thing we were always good at." She shrugged as George quirked his eyebrow. "Fighting you prat. We always knew how to push each others buttons."

"In many ways." He replied softly, his eyes finding refuge in the dark sky.

"Of course I always won the battles." She puffed out her chest slightly. "I always was better at that stuff."

"Are you crazy?" Another clap of thunder boomed above them and this time a few spots of rain fell from the heavens.

"No! You know certainly well that I always beat you!" By now Alicia had gotten to her feet and her hands were placed firmly on her hips.

"That's such bull!" He was on his feet now, and his body towered over her tiny frame. "I'll take you right now, Ali." He struck his fist against his chest.

Alicia threw back her head and laughed. The rain was beginning to grow heavy and she tossed her ponytail back and forth allowing the water to whip around her head. "You're nutters, Weasley!"

"Oh yeah?" He advanced on her.

"Yeah." Without warning she ran full strength against him and knocked him to the muddy ground. "One for me and none for oh so macho you." She struck her own fist against her chest.

"You're cheap." He groaned. "But I'm cheaper." And with a toss he rolled her over and placed her in the mud.

"George!" She tried to push him off of her, but her kept her arms pinned firmly to the ground.

"Say it." He grinned. "Come on Ali, say it and I'll let you go."

"I will not!" She tossed again but failed to even move a inch from beneath him.

"Ali…"

"Ok" She sighed and took a deep breath. "George Weasley you are oh so strong and mighty and it's an honor to have you hold me down because so many other girls would die for a chance like this." She glared at him as he laughed. "Ok can you get up now?"

He only laughed harder and she took advantage of his weakened state and pushed him off of her. Kicking a wad of mud in his direction she began to storm back towards the house.

"Alicia come on." He managed to hoist himself up and catch up to her.

"George I used to hate when you'd make me say that back at Hogwarts." The rain had matted her hair down against her head.

He thought she never looked more beautiful. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I did! I told you every time you'd make me say it!" She balled up her fists and let out a huff. "You just chose to ignore me…ya know sometimes I think you just love to-"

George bowed and held out his hand. "Alicia, care to dance?"

"What?" She blinked.

"Dance with me." He took her hand and gave her a twirl. "Like old times." He pointed towards the rainy sky and grinned.

The corners of the picture seemed to pinch her awake and she felt her cheeks go red. "Like old times then?" With a shaky hand she gripped his shoulders and allowed the nonexistent music to move the two of them together.

"Remember when we danced just like this that summer you came to visit?" His hand moved down to the small of her back and he dipped her.

"Remember when I told you that you were a horrid dancer?" She chuckled when he grimaced. "well I was lying. You are a magnificent dancer." Tilting her head to the side she glanced back up at the house. "Don't you think we ought to go inside?"

Looking down upon her he shook his head. " Nah…this is where I wanna be right now."

"George." She took a breath and rested her head against his chest.

"Mmhm?"

"This doesn't mean- I don't think we should- I just - I can't…." Somehow the words she was looking for became lost within her.

Kissing the top of her head he felt his heart drop. " I know, Ali. I just want you to be happy." He wasn't sure if it was just the rain, or if his tears had somehow mingled with the droplets. All he knew was that even though they weren't actually together that this was all he had wanted. This was all he needed to believe.

"Would someone call George and Alicia inside for desert?" Molly's voice rang from the kitchen.

In the sitting room about a dozen faces were pressed up against the window watching the two dance out in the rain.

"I'll call them!" Fred grinned and made way for the door.

"No!" Ginny grabbed him the arm and stepped in front of him. Turning back towards the window Ginny smiled. "They've waited eight years for this….for merlins sake let them enjoy the rain."

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this sappy chapter. Bleh the next chapter should be up within the week unless Im having a good day and get it all done in some miraculous time. It will still take place at the Burrow so some fun should still be around :) Until then hit that little purple button and leave me some love. Thanks guys! 


	15. A Chaser of Fate

So I decided to put in this little bit about HBP which comes out SATURDAY! Anyway I just wanna say that if anything major happens in the book, like lets say for example one of the Weasley's die, GAH I cant even imagine, anyway if this should happen Im just going to continue on with this story as planned. I figure I got this far why stop. It will just become AU which is fine by me. But that's only if something extreme happens. Lets pray it doesn't.

Well then another round of thank yous to all you wonderful, amazing, awesome, splendid, beautiful reviewers! It makes my heart swell with delight to hear from you all.

TheBrassPotato, harrysmom ,InsPins2011 ,OreoLine00 ,Best Deception , Lady Mione, foryousuckers, Oliverwoodschic ,Clueless Bystander , Clueless Bystander

YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST EVER!

Oh and a special thanks to Charmed777 ! I saw your profile and was so touched to see that you had mentioned my fic in your profile. That's so awesome.

Also thanks to KitKat001 for the twelve page review, lol. I love them cause they make me so happy! You are too hilarious! I love it!.

And finally thanks to Jagged Epiphany FOR UPDATING OLD FACES! And also for being cool and an awesome writer.

Ok its like 4am here in new york, and I think I am just rambling far too much. Love you guys so leave me some love back in the form of a review! THANKS!

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 15- A Chaser of Fate

"They were up all night jabbering away. Hell, I couldn't sleep at all." Fred rubbed his sleepy eyes with his forearm. "Plus Angelina kept kicking me in the shins and mumbling something about hem length."

"I told you I was having a bad dream." She looked over at Katie. "In my dream Helga had forgotten to measure my dress so I was just kicking the crap out of her." Katie giggled.

For eight o'clock in the morning the Weasley kitchen was booming with the clatter of coffee mugs and forks against plates. The previous night had come and gone and while they had all turned in after desert, George and Alicia had remained in the sitting room reminiscing about the past. Then of course they had retired to George's old room and of course the rumors were flying.

"You should have just placed a silencing charm on the walls." Lee shrugged. " Ya know we do have magic for things like that." Katie chuckled into her coffee mug while Fred sarcastically mimicked Lee.

"Here's the last of it kids." Mrs. Weasley placed the last bit of eggs into the center of the table.

There was a quick scramble for forks and a bit of shouting, but Charlie had come out triumphant and grinned like a twelve years old with the entire bowl tucked in the crook of his arm. Groans and complaints sang out across the kitchen, and Fred went as far as throwing a buttered roll at his older brother. Even Harry looked a bit ticked as he slammed his fork back down on the table.

"Time out, time out." Charlie held his free hand out in front of him. " There are two other people here who haven't had a single bite yet." He nodded his head towards the staircase.

"Bloody hell man they're both still fast asleep." Lee made a grab for the bowl but Charlie pulled it away with a grin. " tsk tsk tsk these eggs are for his other half " He shot Fred a look, " and his wifey." This caused the whole lot of them to explode into laughter.

"I doubt Ali would appreciate that last remark." Angelina managed to speak despite the hysterics she was in.

"Yeah well regardless I'm saving this for the two of them." Charlie held onto the bowl for dear life as Ron tried to fork some eggs. Unfortunately Hermione caught what he was doing and gave him a whack on the shoulder.

"Ron you ate enough for twelve! Save those for your brother and Alicia!" Hermione huffed quietly and tucked a few stray hairs behind her ears.

"But I'm still hungry! What if they don't even want to eat?" Ron's question had perked the ears of Fred and Lee. Both boys grew identical smiles, and if it wasn't for Lee's chocolate skin and dreadlocks the smirk on their faces were eerily twin like.

"Don't you two even dare." Katie waggled her finger in front of Lee's face, but Lee was already rising from the table.

"Lee mate, I reckon we go see if those two love birds want any breakfast." Fred bowed slightly and made room for Lee to pass.

"Why thank you my dear friend I do say your idea sounds peachy." Lee gave a tiny nod as he passed by Fred and walked towards the staircase.

Angelina and Katie pushed from their chairs and sped across the kitchen and through the sitting room. The boys had causally been making their way up the first few steps but once they caught sight of the girls they exchanged glances and began to bolt up the stairs.

"Stop!"

Angelina, followed by Katie, Charlie, and Ginny, bolted up the stairs after the two. They all jumped the eight step and Charlie clung tightly to the bowl of eggs as his balanced was almost lost. Ginny on the other hand moved faster then the group of them and slipped between Angelina and Katie positioning herself right behind Lee and Fred.

"I let them have our old room last night." She heard Fred yell to Lee.

Ginny wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. "Would you two leave them alone! I swear on Merlin's beard if you ruin this for them I'll hex the living hell out of you!"

"Your sister sure loves those threats." Lee glanced over his shoulder as Ginny shot him the finger. "Fred!"

"What?" His breathing was becoming raspy.

"Your sister just gave me the finger!"

"You deserve it you prat!" Angelina called from a few steps back.

"Gin please refrain from using obscene gestures. I don't think Neville would find it attractive."

"Fred!" Ginny squealed at the top of her lungs and pushed her legs a little bit faster. "When I catch you I'm going to rip your tongue out."

"Too late Gin Gin." Fred chuckled as her reached for the doorknob to his old bedroom. Swinging the door open he stumbled into the room with Lee and halted in the doorway. This allowed the rest of the group to crash directly into them, and the most precious bowl of eggs to wobble in Charlies arms.

"Watch it!" He hissed, tightening his grip around the bowl again.

"Would you all shut up!" Katie pointed across the room towards the twins old bunk beds.

There was a chorused 'Aww' as they took in the image of George and Alicia sleeping against each other. From the looks of it they had remained up quite late looking through photo's and old journals. There was scattered bags of candy and a jug of butterbeer on the floor, and Angelina almost died of laughter when she pointed to the two teddy bears that had the names Fred and George embroidered across the chests. Fred just scowled and crossed his arms. George was sleeping sitting up with his back against the headboard of the bed. His neck was craned in a position that made them all cringe, but the smile on his face would negate the pain he might feel when he woke up. Alicia was pressed against him with her arms wrapped around an old journal. Her legs dangled over the side of the bed, and her face was inches from his armpit. This caused Lee to snort back a laugh.

"Look how cute they are!" Angelina whispered as she leaned her head on Katie's shoulder.

"It's disgusting." Lee made a face.

"Do you think they rekindled everything last night?" Ginny looked up to Charlie who just shrugged.

"I think they are definitely back together." Katie grinned wildly and slung her arm around Angelina's shoulder.

"Does this mean I can eat those eggs?" Fred quirked his eyebrow towards his brother who just clutched the bowl even more.

Charlie glanced at Angelina. "Is he always so selfish?"

"Do you think they'll be getting married too?" Ginny wiped a tear from her eye as she watched the two sleep.

"Just give me a spoonful or something." Fred moved around Lee and towards Charlie.

"I bet she cried in his arms and told him that she still loved him." Katie cooed.

"Just give him some eggs man or he'll never shut up!" Lee pushed his dreads out of his face.

Lifting her head from Katie's shoulder Angelina sighed. "I hope she breaks the news to Oliver gently."

"Just give me some eggs!"

"No!"

"For the love of Merlin!"

They all paused and focused on the two sleeping figures. Without opening his eyes George just mumbled. "First off we are not getting married Ginny so stop crying. Second, Alicia and I aren't even together at all…we're just friends. Third, for crying out loud Charlie give him those damn eggs and shut him up." Fred just grinned in Charlie's direction.

The color rose in each of their cheeks as they stood in the doorway.

"And I didn't cry nor confess any love, Angelina." Alicia's eyes remained closed and her body barely moved a muscle.

"Now if you all are finished making a scene we'd like to get back to sleep." George shifted his head slightly and pushed himself further down in his bed. Alicia moved with him and turned on her side before falling back to sleep.

"So can I have those eggs now?" Fred whispered to Charlie. Rolling his eyes Charlie took the bowl of eggs and slammed them roughly against Fred's chest. "Well that was uncalled for." He hissed as they made their way out of the room and allowed the two to catch up on a bit more sleep.

* * *

When Alicia's eyes opened again the sun was blaring through the window across the room. She squinted, reached for the blankets, and threw them quickly over her head. Something wasn't right. Pushing the blanket back down around her chin she dropped her head to the side and stared at the empty pillow beside her. George had left. Her hand slid over and felt the sheets that he had been laying on, and she smiled. Still warm. He had probably just rolled out of bed as well.

Alicia felt on top of the world. Jumping out of bed she fixed her tee shirt and gathered the journals and pictures from the previous night. They had spent hours on end going through old memories and stories. For once they hadn't brought up that blasted moment that had ruined them. For once the night had been everything she had remembered from the past. The world around her shrunk, and nothing mattered but the two of them.

Running her fingers through her hair, Alicia hurried into the bathroom and freshened up for the morning. A nice quick shower followed by a clean set of clothes always did the trick. When she finished getting ready she didn't even bother drying her hair. Instead she let it sit wet against her shoulders and shook her head lightly when she felt the water droplets roll down her back. She didn't bother with it a second longer as the voices downstairs grew louder, and with her hands tucked into the pockets of her jeans she headed into the lions den.

All eyes were on her when she walked into the kitchen. Thank merlin Mrs. Weasley had gone to visit the Mr at the office or she knew she'd be getting the mother-in-law speech right about now. Lee had paused mid bite of his sandwich, while Angelina just giggled under her breath. It was certainly a sight, and for a second she wished she had never come down the stairs in the first place.

"Morning Ali." Ginny piped up from the table. "Nice sleep?" She heard a snort from across the room and she threw Charlie a glare.

"Fine actually." She waited for another snort of laughter but when nothing came she sat in the chair next to Katie. "Where's Fred?" and then after a moment. "George?" Again she waited but no noises were made.

"Shop stuff I think." Lee had resumed eating his sandwich. "Plus Fred wanted all the juicy details from last night."

"Shut up Lee!" Alicia reached for an apple. " And as for the rest of you, cause I know your all thinking it, nothing happened between us last night. We talked." She bit into the apple.

"So you aren't back together?" Ginny grabbed something from the countertop. "Here these came for you this morning."

Alicia grabbed three letters and furrowed her brow. " No, we are not together. We just decided that it would be better if we were friends. This way no one gets hurt." Her voice cracked a bit at this. "What are these?" She shook the letters in the air.

"They came with the post this morning." Angelina was busy braiding Katie's hair and didn't bother to look up. "One's from the Daily Prophet, ones from Oliver and the other looks like it's from your mother."

Alicia scrunched her nose in disgust. "Geez, I'm glad my personal life is anything but personal." She rolled her eyes and opened the letter from Oliver first.

Alicia,

I knew it would eventually happen, but I think it's actually a good idea. I'm not forcing you to go ahead and do it, but I think it would be interesting for a journalist to be interviewed by another. Go for it! I know you can do it! Oh and meet me tonight at The Palace. You know that restaurant in Liverpool? I'll be waiting for you around seven. Till then.

Good Luck!

Oliver

Alicia dropped the letter down on the table in a very confused manner. "Does anyone know what the hell he's talking about?" They all shrugged simultaneously.

"Maybe if you open the other letters" Angelina hit the one from the Prophet, " it would make sense." She shook her head and went back to Katie's hair.

Tearing into the letter from the Prophet, Alicia tossed the group of them a look as she read out loud.

Ms. Alicia Spinnet,

It is with great excitement that we inform you that you have been chosen for this months prime column interview! It has come upon us that you have been seen with the star Quidditch keeper Oliver Wood, and we would like to sit down one on one with the lady who has captured the heart of one of the top most eligible bachelors. After all it is important for us to know the family history and background of a very lucky lady. Please meet me, Cecilia Renderwook, at The Leaky Cauldron at three this afternoon. It will not be a lengthy interview so don't worry about missing anything important, though I find it hard to believe that anything would be more important than an interview with the Prophet.

Thank you for your time,

Cecilia Renderwook

Chief Journalist

Alicia stared down dumbfounded. "Can you believe this woman?" She crumbled the paper up in her hands. "And Oliver wants me to do it? Bloody hell!"

"Oh come on Alicia like it could possibly be that bad." Katie tried to look at her but Angelina yanked her head back into place by her hair.

"Katie is right ya know. Free food, free drinks, hell just answer a few questions have a dandy time and leave the bill to them. That's usually how they do it anyway." Lee drummed his fingers against the tabletop.

Dropping the crumbled paper onto the table, Alicia gave a tiny shoulder shrug. "Look guys it isn't that I really don't like the idea of an interview, but more like I don't like the idea of these people thinking Oliver and I are some hot shot couple of the year."

"You aren't?" Ginny arched her eyebrow. "I mean you technically are dating him, and your bringing him to the wedding as a date. That's a big thing, Ali." She gave a little point with her finger.

She opened her mouth to debate Ginny's accusations, but closed it as soon as she realized she was at a loss for words. When she analyzed it she supposed she was dating Oliver Wood, and a little bit more seriously then she would have ever believed. Quickly, before anyone else could say anything to make her feel more like a fool, she opened the final letter from her mother.

"Lets see what mamma Spinnet has to say about all this" Lee voiced up as he saw Alicia open the letter. Hell, she could only imagine what rubbish it contained.

To my darling daughter Alicia,

Oh sweetie it is so good to know that you are back home! Though I find it a tad insulting that you didn't consult me on any matters of transportation or housing. You know perfectly well that we have plenty of guest rooms here at the manor. I'm sure Albert would have fixed a room up for you without a problem.

"Albert? Who the hell is Albert?" Angelina scrunched her face in confusion. "I thought your father's name was Winston."

"Eh my moms mistress…I mean mr-ess …is there a word for the bloke that's having an affair with your mother?" She looked around for an answer but only received a shake of the head from Charlie. "Yeah well ever since my father started traveling this fella seems to be hanging around a lot. I mean in the other letters my mom swears he's the butler, but what butler personally bathes their employer, and then accompanies them to their king sized bed?" She shook her head and then went back to reading.

However this is the least of my concerns, as I am sure you have found stay with your successful friend Angelina. If not I hope you aren't staying in some dump.

Alicia looked up at Katie and noticed how quick her face went red. " You are quite successful to Kate, remember how my mother gets." She pointed out, and Katie nodded.

Still I have sent you this letter to extend my congratulations! Alicia, how dare you not inform me that you are involved with such a prominent man!

"How does she find these things out!" Alicia shook the letter as her voice boomed across the room. Even Lee seemed to jump slightly in his seat.

I received a letter from the Daily Prophet asking for a few pictures of you from your school days with Oliver. Of all men, you choose the most successful eligible bachelor? I am so thrilled honey! Much better then those Weasley boys you used to run with. Here I thought you'd be married to that boy by now, what was his name, Gregory? But no, you have certainly surprised me, Alicia. Just think of the wedding! It will be an extravaganza! I can already see you in your white gown.

Alicia threw the letter down on the table. "I'm not reading another word that comes out of that woman's warped head!"

However Angelina seemed very intrigued by the rest and quickly snatched it before Lee. She continued for her.

I have already informed so many people about this exciting news! And just think of all the publicity your father's company will get once your names goes out in the Prophet! He will be able to make hundreds of sales simply because of you. This will allow us to have an even larger wedding for you! Not that you would need it with Oliver being extremely wealthy and all. Honey, please come see me as soon as you can. We have much to discuss regarding your future!

Always and Kisses,

Mother

Angelina just stared at the parchment for a second without even blinking. They were all quiet. Of course they had all known the extremities of Alicia's mother, but never had they heard such ridiculousness come out of the womans mouth. Not only had it made Alicia mad, but Angelina was clutching the parchment rather tight in her hand. For Merlins sake her mother had just insulted Fred and George! Alicia felt nothing but embarrassment.

"I told you guys." She began quietly. " I told you a million times how crazy she was."

"Yeah but we didn't know she was a loony straight from St. Mungos." Lee ran his hand across his mouth to keep himself from saying more.

"So what are you gonna do?" Angelina tied off the end of Katie's braid with a white ribbon.

Alicia threw her hands up in the air. "What the hell am I supposed to do? My mother's having kneazles cause she thinks I'm marrying Oliver, the Prophet wants to sit down and have a go at twenty questions, and Oliver's cheering me on like this is some sort of freakish Quidditch game."

"So?" Ginny rolled her hand in order to push Alicia for an answer.

Throwing her head back and howling out a cry of defeat, Alicia slumped her shoulders. "So I guess I'll just go and do this stupid interview. Even though I'd rather tick off my mum and skip it I don't want to disappoint Oliver. He seems too excited about this." She rolled her eyes. "But I swear if this woman gets into anything I don't want to discuss…" She smacked her hand against the table. "I'll pounce…I swear."

"Speaking of pouncing, I need to head to the hospital to check up on Marmalade." Katie let her fingers run down her braid. " Some woman brought me in a fifty pound beast that was bred from a kneazle and a bobcat." Katie shook her head. "I don't know how she did it, but the poor thing is so genetically mixed up." Turning to Lee she batted her eyelashes. "Wanna come with me so I have some company?"

Lee groaned very dramatically and pounded his feet against the floor. "Do. I. Have. To?" He beat out each word with a stomp of his foot. Katie narrowed her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. Catching this look, Lee got to his feet and bowed towards the lot of them. "Well it's been peachy, see you all later…tomorrow…sometime soon I suspect?" He yelped as Katie took a hold of him and towards the sitting room.

"We will see you guys later. Ginny, Charlie, thank your mother for the wonderful time." Grabbing a handful of floo powder she shoved Lee into the fireplace and forced the sand into his hand. "My apartment first Lee, I need to pick up a few things." And with a toss of the powder and a yell, the two disappeared in a flash of green smoke.

"I'm heading out too. I need to run a few errands before dinner time." Angelina stretched her arms out in front of her and beckoned Alicia in for a hug. "Don't worry Ali, everything will be fine." Pulling away she gathered her bag and her cloak from behind the door. "Gin tell your mum that Fred and I aren't coming back for dinner tonight, but tell her I said thank you as always." Ginny gave a nod. " I'll see you guys tomorrow then." Angelina grinned and reached for a broom that was stationed behind the door as well.

"What are you doing?" Alicia crossed the distance and followed her friend out the front door.

Angelina pointed to herself. "Me, witch" she pointed to the broom. "broom, fly." Pointing between herself and the broom she chuckled. "Witch, fly."

"You are an idiot." Alicia smirked but took a step back. "Have a nice ride." She called out as Angelina kicked up into the air.

"Are you kidding! When haven't I had a nice ride?"

Alicia watched as she pushed her body forward and sprang across the sky and out of sight.

"She does that a lot." Ginny came up beside Alicia and watched Angelina disappear into the distance. "She told me once that there are two things in the world that keep her from falling apart…one was flying and the other was Fred." Ginny grimaced. " though if I were the one about to marry Fred I think I'd feel the world crumbling beneath my feet." Alicia giggled. "I'm heading to Nevilles for a bit, you wanna come before you go to that interview?" She took Alicia's hand and brought her back inside the house.

"Eh, you go and have cute Neville time. I think- well I think I'll just hang around here until I have to go." She looked over at the clock which read one thirty. She really only needed to kill and hour or so before heading out.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Ginny reached for her bag that was draped over the back of an old wooden rocking chair. "Well all right, but when you die of boredom here don't say I didn't warn you."

"Hey I'm still here." Charlie appeared from no where carrying a bowl of oatmeal.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You are the boredom I was trying to warn her about." Ginny shrieked as Charlie scooped up a heap of oatmeal and flung it at her, but she apparated out of the room before it even came close to hitting. So much for that idea.

"So what are you up to now, kiddo?" He moved across the room and took a seat on the sofa. "Are you gonna take Gin's advice or are you gonna up and leave me alone in this big house?"

"I'll stay I guess." She pretended to hate the idea but couldn't deny the giggle that was pressing at her lips. Taking a seat on the sofa beside him, Alicia reached over and yanked the spoon away. Helping herself to a little bit of oatmeal she grinned as Charlie frowned in disgust.

As she offered him back the spoon he held up his hands in mock defeat. "All yours kiddo. I don't know what kind of germs you have." She punched him lightly in the arm. "Or brute strength…." He groaned and rubbed his arm. Alicia happily ate at his oatmeal, her legs dangling from the sofa. Charlie, on the other hand, continually shook his head as she scraped the entire bowl clean.

"Thanks Charlie-boy." She handed the bowl back to him and tucked her legs beneath her in order to get comfortable.

"You are something, you know that?" He took out his wand and levitated the bowl into the kitchen.

"Geez Charlie, what would the walk have killed you?" She let her head fall to the side as she studied the expression he shot her. Oh she knew she was getting under his skin. Hell she had been good at it at thirteen, why not twenty five?

"Ya know I was genuinely excited to see you yesterday, _Spinwad_." Alicia choked out a laugh.

"I haven't heard that in years, _Charlene_!" She burst into a fit of giggles. Somehow Charlie made her feel like she was a teenager allover again.

"Yeah, well you are completely changing my mind." He grinned. "I think your 'make up' with George fogged your memory and sent you back to your adolescence."

"Hardy har har." She fixed the bottom of her jeans and let them fall over her toes.

"Ya know Ali, you really haven't changed that much at all." He turned slightly on the sofa to get a better look at her.

"Eh, I wouldn't say that." Reaching up she ran her fingers through her hair and scowled. It was still pretty damp and she certainly couldn't show up to an interview looking a mess. Then again how much did she really care?

"Really though. I mean everything about you has stayed the same." He shook his head and chuckled. " And that's a good thing, Al. I don't think I'd be able to take you any other way….a lot of people wouldn't. You're the real deal."

Letting out a sigh her eyes flickered towards the staircase involuntarily. " Right." She hadn't meant to look up in that direction, but for some reason she couldn't help it.

Charlie had realized this too, and lucky enough for him, he didn't skirt around touchy subjects. "Why are you doing this to yourself?" He nodded towards the stairs. " I see the way you still look at him."

Alicia felt the sweat bead up in the palms of her hands. Truthfully she didn't really want to get on the topic of George with Charlie, but it was too late to try and avoid the subject now. One thing about Charlie that you could never avoid was his persistence. He'd stop at nothing until he got his answers.

"You might not want to believe that I've changed Charlie, but I have." She nodded her head as though to reassure him that this was the truth, but she felt as though she was only reassuring herself. " With those changes comes feelings and emotions that only the individual can understand, and what I had with George….well that changed."

"I know what happened with him." He turned his face from her.

"What?" Her voice went low and she felt her legs slip back down to the floor. " What do you mean you know? No one knows." _Except Angelina of course_, she thought to herself.

"After it happened he told me." Charlie shook his head as he recalled the things that George had told him.

The poor bloke had been up for two nights straight after he had left school, and even though Charlie had seen the guilt first hand he had punched George square in the jaw to worsen the pain. Mostly because Alicia had been a second sister to him while growing up, and second, well second because he wanted George to realize how he had just blown the best thing that could have been in his life. There wouldn't be another person in his life that would ever come close to matching her. Charlie was good at sensing those things even though he never had much luck in love himself. Still he knew the signs, and he watched the two of them grow up. To be honest he had nearly beaten the snot out of George after hearing the things he said to her. It took him a second to realize why he said them though, and even thought the heat was still under his skin, he got it. He understood it all.

"Oh." She shrugged and tucked a piece of damp hair behind her ears. " like I said earlier…my personal life just isn't so personal."

"It surprised me, I wont lie." His eyes searched hers for any sign of pain, and when he felt that she was all right discussing the situation he continued. " I expected you two to finally get together and then wham." He slapped his hands together. " I was counting on nieces and nephews even before Fleur and Bill got hitched."

"You sound like Ginny." Not wanting to catch his eyes she kept her own glued to the floor. "You guys really need to give up on this notion."

"You don't get it do you, Ali?" She finally looked up to him at this with a quizzical expression plastered to her face.

"I don't get it? I don't get it! Charlie, I think I get it loud and clear now! You don't think I see how he did what he did just because he thought I would be better off without him? You don't think I see how he made that kind of sacrifice because he wanted was best for me? Hell this is all I have been thinking about these last few days." She wiped beneath her eyes at the forming tears. " and I realize that I over reacted a bit…and I sure as hell know that he said things to me cause he though it best, but I can't live in the past! I can't do it Charlie!" She sighed. " I'm tired of wishing and hoping and wondering…I'm tired of choosing the wrong bloke simply because he reminds me of George's personality, or maybe he resembles George…or maybe because my stupid luck just doesn't work on love."

"But you love him still, right?" His hand reached out to sit upon her knee. " Even though you don't want to live in the past you can't help but run back the clock just a bit every time you see him."

" I don't want to hurt anymore."

" And when you are with him do you still feel that hurt? Do you feel like he's out to make that pain surface again?" He tapped her knee in order to regain her attention.

"No." Her heart thumped heavily beneath her breastbone. "but I never saw or felt it before that night either. It came out of nowhere, and it killed me Charlie. And now when I'm with him…even now when he sees me with Oliver, which I know kills him, he can't get the words out. He can't bring himself to say it and I've waited….I've waited so long for him to say it and I just can't wait anymore."

"To say what? To say he's sorry?" He questioned.

She wiped her eyes again, her breathing regaining it's composure. "No." She stated simply. " no it was never about the apology…it was never about any of the things he said to me because in my heart I know he didn't mean it. The whole thing- what broke me the most-" She choked back a sob and swallowed. " it was so simple. I said it because I knew it was right, and I knew it was real and even though I had been seething I still found the words so simple and easy to say to him. He still cant say it to me. Even after all this time and after everything that's happened….even last night. I waited Charlie. All I needed to hear were three words, and today would be a completely different day."

It hit him then, and he felt his eyes widen slightly. George had never told her that he loved her. Perhaps that was the dumbest thing his brother had ever done. "Did you ever think he didn't say it because he was afraid of what you'd do? Of what you'd say? Maybe he didn't say it because he thought you didn't want to hear it. There could be a million possibilities, Ali."

" I know." Slipping from the couch she stood in the center of the sitting room and glanced at the pictures on the wall. In the frame titled, The Twins Fourth Birthday, both Fred and George waved madly at her. " but there is only so much waiting I can do, and I'm not going to say it again to him and feel my heart get ripped from my chest when he denies my love. When he tries to do best for me. Or even worse, if he says it back out of pity." She rolled her eyes. " When I hear him say it…if he was to ever say it….I don't want to be the one pushing him to do something he doesn't want. If he doesn't want me….well I'll have to move on. Hell, I already have moved on." She shrugged.

Standing up beside her, Charlie placed his arm lovingly around her shoulder. Kissing the top of her head he took a breath and then let his brotherly instincts take over. "Hey Ali you know that little thing called fate?" He waited for her to nod. "Well, we all have a bit of fate guiding us, and believe me when I say that you and George have fate working overtime to bring you back together. However things can fall one of two ways for you…depending on how you handle it of course." Stepping back slightly he held her so she could look him in the eyes. Holding out one hand he weighed the first option " See there are two types of people in the world. There is the keeper on a Quidditch team. You happily await what's coming just by sitting there on your broom and dealing with the situation when it finally comes around. That's one way to deal with fate. Or…" He held out his other hand for comparison. "Or you could be the chaser. Things are gonna happen, and you might not even be sure what the hell it is you are getting yourself into…but you'll take the risk, and take a chance. You'll decide which way fates gonna head. The ball is in your hands, and you have control." Lifting his thumb to her face he wiped a falling tear from her eye. " You see cause fate is an awesome, amazing, unbelievable force in the world, but it only takes you so far…cause once you stop, once it gets to where it has to be, it's up to you to decide what happens, and you can either take it…or leave it."

"Charlie?" She sounded like such a child that she almost started crying again. "What if I'm just a keeper? What if I'm too afraid to take that risk and control my fate?"

Tilting his head to the side he laughed and ruffled her hair. "You are a chaser, kiddo. Always was and always will be." Pulling her in for another hug he just smiled.

* * *

Ok to be honest I was gonna go on with this chapter, but I felt if I went past this point it would totally blow this whole emotional thing I had going on with Alicia and Charlie. So the interview and dinner and some more action will have to wait until next chapter. I know not much really happened in this one, but I got so involved with developing this brotherly bond between Alicia and Charlie. Sue me. Well thank you guys for reading this and if you leave me a review I will send you all a cookie. I promise wink

THANK YOU ALL!


	16. Drown out the Sounds with Hard Liquor

Well I am terribly sorry that this took forever to get out. I was just so tied down with the excitement of HBP and the actual reading of it that I didn't have any time to finish this chapter until today. I hope you don't think I forgot about you! I love this story far too much to forget it. On a happy note I don't think I have to change anything about this fic. Alicia didn't die and George didn't go off and get hitched to some hussy. Always a plus in my eyes. What did you guys think of the book? Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Depressions? Let me know... I've been reading the book for five days straight...twice through already! Im pretty proud of myself.

Anyway I hope this chapter was worth the obnoxiously long wait. It's just the aftermath of the night spent together and the interview. Next chapter will be Alicia's date with Oliver and a HUGE secret. Oooooo I wonder what it is? Oooooo

Ok that's enough I'm gonna give some love and thanks at the end of the chapter. Here we go:

* * *

Remember When 

Chapter 16 - Drown out the Sounds with Hard Liquor

Fred Weasley never knew when to keep his mouth shut. In all the years he had been able to speak never once had he held back from saying whatever was on his mind. It got him into trouble loads of times. Hell, he had almost lost Angelina in their seventh year because a few things came trumpeting out of his mouth without much thought. Some said it was obnoxious, but he looked at it as being blatantly honest all the time. It was a good thing. Clearing the head and speaking the mind was much better than biting your tongue and cursing yourself for not saying something later on.

Which was why it was killing him not to ask George what happened with Alicia.

Oh and it wasn't like Fred hadn't hinted that he wanted to know. He had practically begged his twin to lay the juicy gossip out upon the table. Unfortunately George was never one to kiss and tell. At least not unless he wanted to talk about it. Fred knew that pressuring him to talk would only keep George's mouth glued shut even longer. So for the last hour he had been chewing on the inside of his mouth to keep himself from nagging George with burning questions. The people had a right to know!

Looking over a few boxes that were placed upon the front counter, Fred studied his twins facial expressions for any sign. There had to be something he could find out simply by looking at him. His eyes. He could always tell George's moods by his eyes. Though it was difficult to see his blue eyes through his ginger hair that had gotten far too long. It hung loosely in his face and prohibited Fred from catching any twinkle or any disappointment. Would his curiosity ever be cured!

"I know it's killing you." George spoke over his shoulder as he placed a few pairs of binocular eyeglasses on the shelf.

"What?" He quickly tried to cover the fact that he had been staring off into space but knocked over the boxes that were stacked in front of him. "Oh man!" He groaned and bent over to clean up the spilled contents.

George chuckled. "That's what you get for trying to figure out what went on last night."

"I'm appalled! Is that what you think I was doing? Trying to figure out your night with Spinnet?" Fred stood up from behind the counter and placed his hand against his chest in mock disgust. When he noticed that George wasn't buying it he clasped his hands together and did the one thing he hated. Begged. "Oh come on George! I'm your twin for crying out loud! Tell me what went on last night! As a member of your family and a dear friend to Alicia I have a right to know." As pathetic as it may have seemed he didn't care. If he didn't find out what went on in that room he would surely die. Well, maybe not die but he'd be pretty ticked off.

"Why don't you guys ever believe us when we say nothing happened? Don't you have your own life to worry about? It's like your living vicariously though us. " He turned slightly and began stacking another shelf full of assorted jokes and gags. "It's rather disturbing."

"I only want to know what happened so I can tell Angelina because if she doesn't know what went on then she gets moody, starts complaining about something, and then I end up kicked out of her flat and forced to listen to you snore all night." Fred shrugged as though this was a perfectly logical reason why he should know what happened.

George on the other hand looked at his brother and shook his head. Sometimes, as similar as they were, they were so completely different. " If I tell you what happened and you tell Angelina then she's going to go tell Katie and then she will tell Lee which of course means the entire United Kingdom will know what went on in the matter of twenty minutes." He placed the last touches on the shelf and dusted his hands off when he finished.

"But at least we would know what happened!" By now Fred had gotten down on his knees and was pathetically groveling at George's feet.

"Why do you care so much what happened? It's not like we got together cause if we did I wouldn't be so secretive about it!" George kicked his foot slightly in order to knock Fred some distance away.

"Well why the hell didn't you do anything about that?" Fred got to his feet and brushed dust from his knees. " You had a prime opportunity, man! You could have made up for eight years of lost time and you did what? Read through some letters, ate some candy and pretended you were sixteen again?"

"It's a little more complicated then that, Fred." He pushed by his brother and went to the front door where he changed the sign on the outside from 'Open' to 'Out to Lunch'. "You have no idea how close I was to saying it last night."

He had wanted to tell her that he wanted her. It had been on the tip of his tongue as they sat there side by side in his bed. She had been cuddled against his side looking though a pile of old notebooks and pictures that she hadn't noticed him staring at her for a good half hour. Her head lay comfortably against his shoulder, and every time he turned his head slightly to the left he could smell the hint of jasmine shampoo she must have showered with. Her thick dark hair cascaded down her back and in places brushed against his chest which made him smile. There in the crook of his arm she was a perfect fit. Everything about her was perfect. From the teeny freckles on her face right down to the scar on her knee that she got during Quidditch practice their fourth year. He knew every single detail. The soft skin, the birthmark behind her ear, the way her nose scrunched when she smiled.

All he wanted to do at that moment was kiss her and tell her he loved her. But he didn't.

There had been something holding him back from opening his mouth, and the more he thought about it the only thing that came to his mind was the fear that she'd reject him. After all he wouldn't blame her after the way he had rejected her all those years ago. He didn't want to put that kind of pain upon her again. He didn't want to risk the chance of pushing her away ever again. So if he had to lay claim upon her as a friend and a friend only then he'd take that job without a second of hesitation. Just having her back in his life was good enough. Wasn't it?

"Saying what?"

"Telling her I loved her. I almost said it…." He didn't even look at Fred in fear that his brother would point and laugh.

"You are an idiot." Fred just sighed and reached for a new box of Shrinking Shake Mixes.

"Yeah I - wait! I'm an idiot?" He moved across to where Fred had begun to start a new display and scowled. " How am I the idiot? I saved our friendship, if you even want to call it a friendship, from another fiasco." Hadn't he?

"What by lying to her? By keeping what you are feeling to yourself? Oh real chivalrous of you George. Remind me to sign you up for gentleman of the year award."

"Sod off Fred." George thrust his finger into his brother's chest. " Just because you have the perfect life, with the perfect girl, and the whole bloody perfect world patting your back doesn't mean you get to take cheap shots at me!"

"Who said my life was perfect?" He threw the box down on the floor and swatted George's hand away. " Nothing is perfect, George! My life is not perfect!" There was an awkward pause as he narrowed his eyes upon his twin. " All I'm trying to do it help you see how bloody crazy you are! How many opportunities have you had to tell her something…anything! Since she's come back from Australia you have had numerous amounts of time to make some sort of move, but you've gone and blown it…again!"

"I didn't blow anything." His words hissed through his teeth.

"Oh yeah, well who is she taking to the wedding? Who is she spending her evenings with? Who is she flashing her smiles to, holding hands with, laughing, talking….who is she giving her heart to? Not you!" As much as he didn't want to be so blunt with his brother it would have been impossible to get it through his thick skull any other way.

George didn't even want to answer. He couldn't even manage to say the name Oliver out loud. The thought of Alicia alone with Oliver was enough to make him sick to his stomach. Fred was right. He was playing the part of a fool and letting her slip away into the arms of a man who didn't deserve her. Yet he knew that he could never give her all she deserved either.

Throwing his hands over his face, George's words came out quite muffled. " I'm an idiot."

"You are an idiot!" A voice, definitely not Fred's, came bellowing out from the back room. Both boys turned over their shoulders and grinned as a very agitated Charlie stumbled over a box that was placed in front of the door to the backroom.

"Charlie-boy!" Fred chuckled as Charlie regained his balance and paused in the center of the joke shop.

"You!" He pointed at George and stormed towards him.

Normally George knew he could wrestle Charlie and come up victorious, but the crazy look in Charlie's eyes caused George to stumble back against one of the shelves and wince. "What? I didn't do anything!" He brought his arm up in front of his face recalling the last time Charlie had clocked him one for hurting Alicia.

"How many times do I have to spell it out to you?" He reached out, George whimpered, and Charlie knocked on the top of his head. "I am really starting to believe that it's empty up here."

"Well I could have told you that." Fred rolled his eyes and leaned over the front desk.

"You two really need to start worrying about your own lives and stop harping on mine." Upon realizing that Charlie wasn't going to punch him he straightened his robes and moved across the floor. "Now what can we do for you Charlie, or are you really just here to lay the finger on me for something else I did? What did she tell you?" George knew from the moment he left the Burrow this morning that Alicia would have a chat with Charlie. Hell, it was only natural seeing as they were so close in the past.

"Oh no, George, don't think you can weasel this out of me. If you want to figure her out then you are doing that on your own. I just came to let you know that you are an idiot." Charlie shot him a smug and satisfying look.

"That's it?" George arched his eyebrow and leaned back against a stack of boxes. Somehow he figured Charlie wasn't nearly as done as he was saying. "I'm sure you could have saved your breath and let Fred have a go at it. Seems he's had no trouble calling me an idiot all morning."

Rolling his eyes a bit Charlie ran his calloused fingers up into his dark ginger hair. He didn't want to tell George what Alicia had confided in him, but what other way would his daft brother realize it? "Look I just had a chat with Ali." He watched as George's eyes twinkled slightly at this news. "Don't look so thrilled, George, the poor girl was still in tears when I left her."

George's bright eyes suddenly went dark. "Why? What happened?"

"You just-" Charlie groaned. "I feel so damn guilty spilling her secrets to you! You should have picked up on the signs a million times over last night! I can't believe I'm doing this." Throwing his hands up in the air he let out a frustrated sigh.

"Bloody hell Charlie! What did she tell you?" This came from Fred who was also becoming quite annoyed at the situation.

Charlie's eyes moved along the display case in the front window. "She still loves you." He paused. "I don't think she'd ever come out and admit it to you, but she still loves you…I think- I think she's just afraid you will hurt her again."

George stared blankly at his brother. Any other circumstance he'd expect Charlie to burst out laughing and yell that he was joking. This was different. He'd never lie about Alicia. He had to be telling the truth. At this thought it felt like fireworks exploded in his chest. "She told you this?"

Charlie crossed his fingers and held them over his heart. "I swear."

Kicking at the floor he cursed silently to himself. "Where is she?"

Charlie's eyes had settled upon an elderly witch standing outside the shop. " She had an interview with the Prophet about her 'relationship' with Wood."

"And you let her go!" His voice had jumped up a few notches and Fred even raised his eyebrows.

"Oh like Ali is just gonna sit there and let me tell her what to do. Have you forgotten how damn stubborn she is?" Charlie yelled back, his eyes moving from the elderly witch to another figure moving quickly towards the front door. The walk looked familiar. Not to mention the long black hair covering the pale face on a very tiny figure. "Oh shit." Charlie spun on his heel and headed for the back room.

"What?" Fred spun around and watched as Charlie ducked into the back room.

"She's playing chaser after all." He pointed towards the front door. "Don't tell her I'm here."

Both boys wore the oddest expressions as they had no idea what the hell Charlie was talking about. It wasn't until Alicia came storming into the shop that they realized why he was acting so strange. George couldn't help but smirk at Charlie's fear of Alicia.

"We need to talk." She slammed her bag down on the front desk.

"I'm going to go sit in the back and pretend that I have something important to do." Fred moved around a stack of boxes and paused at the side of his brother. "Good luck, man." He whispered quickly before disappearing into the same back room that Charlie had.

George turned his attention back towards Alicia and strained a smile to his face. To say he was terrified of what she was about to do was a bit of an understatement. Her hair had whipped around to the front of her face and hung menacingly in her eyes. Her usual bright hazel eyes were masked over with determination and perhaps even a bit of anger. And yet, despite it all, her tiny little features dismissed it all. She was just too damn cute when she was angry.

"Look if this is about me taking off without waking you this morning…" He began, but was instantly cut off when she placed her hand over his mouth.

"Just shut up and listen to me for a second." She waited for him to nod before removing her hand from his mouth. Taking a very deep breath she shoved her hands into the pockets of her cloak and tilted her head back so she could meet his eyes. Her heart was beating so furiously beneath her chest that she wondered if he could hear the steady rapid thumping it was creating. It took her a moment to regain the confidence she had stormed in with, but she had promised herself she would do this. This was it. Either he could take it or leave it, but the choice was ultimately his. After this…well she wouldn't be waiting around any longer.

"Ali?" He reached out to her but she quickly took a step away.

"I need to know." This was almost where she left it. Her voice had caught in her throat and she was practically convinced that this would be the only sentence she would be able to form. Fortunately the lump sunk back down into her stomach and she went on. "This-" She gestured between them. " what does it mean to you?"

There was a loud clatter from the back room and George closed his eyes. He could only imagine what his brothers were thinking. He could almost hear Fred yelling in his ear to just tell her that he wanted her. God he wanted to say it. The ache in his heart was practically killing him. Still all he could manage to say was, " I care about your happiness, Ali. I care about what you want." There was another loud crash behind them and George was almost certain he heard Charlie yell 'Idiot'.

Alicia felt the tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "I'm tired of it George. I'm asking you right here and now…what do you want? Forget about me for a second…forget about doing what you think is right for me!" She had removed her hands from her pockets and grasped his wrists. "What do you want?" Her voice was a whisper.

"Sweetheart!" A sing song sugary voice filled the room and George watched Alicia's eyes go wide.

"Mum?" Quickly letting go of George's wrists she turned around to face her mother.

George wasn't sure which was stranger. The fact that Alicia's mother had shown up in his joke shop after years and years of belittling him, or that Alicia's mother looked like she hadn't aged at all. The petite woman swept into the room and with much dramatics leaned over and planted a kiss on both of Alicia's cheeks. Her long dark hair, which Alicia had inherited, was elegantly pushed into a flawless bun and adorned with tiny little flowers. Her creamy skin looked like the skin of a teenager, and George scrunched his nose at the amount of make-up Julianna Spinnet had caked on her face. He was certainly glad Alicia didn't take after her mum.

"I thought I saw you scurry in here while I was on my way to the Cauldron." She waggled her finger in front of Alicia's face. "You know tardiness is not a good impression to make, and you are going to be late if you continue to stand around in this-" She jerked her head to both sides and studied the room. " - in whatever this place is." Her lips pursed together and a noise of disgust sounded in the back of her throat.

Alicia looked up at her mother and sighed. "Mother please tell me you are not going to this interview." Alicia placed her hand over her face and closed her eyes.

"Of course I am." She ran her finger along the nearest shelf and yelped as a bit of dust smudged beneath her touch. "Oh this place is filthy. Hurry now before your lungs fill with this stale air. Isn't good for the complexion you know, Alicia." She took Alicia's chin in her hands and tilted her face from side to side. "Not that it matters I see. You haven't been taking care of your appearance at all while you were away. Not that I expected you too." She opened up Alicia's cloak slightly and frowned at her dark green tee shirt and muggle jeans. "Disgusting" She muttered.

Picking fights with her mother was something she had learned not to do when she was a toddler. Nothing good ever came of that. So as her mother scolded her for not taking care of herself, Alicia kept her eyes glued to the floor. All she wanted was for George to just tell her what he wanted…instead she got her mother telling her what _she _wanted. What a swap.

It wasn't until she heard George's voice that she even dared look up. To her surprise he had stepped in between them and was ushering her mother out of the store. "It's completely heart breaking to hear a mother down her daughter so much. Ali is a beautiful, intelligent, wonderful woman, and you have no right barging into my store and barking at her like she's some worthless old shoe."

Julianna Spinnet raised her arm as George pushed her towards the door, and quickly halted him from pushing any further. Alicia recognized the sparkle of interest in Julianna's eyes and waited for her mother to continue butting in on her business. It was too late to warn George, he had already thrown himself into the lions den by simply speaking to her.

"Well well well I should have known you'd still be hanging onto my daughter after all these years. Red hair…worn clothes….Gregory, right?"

"It's George, mum, and he is not hanging on me." Alicia spoke up from behind George who was now completely red in the face. "I'd also appreciate it if you kept your obnoxious remarks to yourself."

"Alicia!" Her mother stepped around George and grabbed her by the elbow. "You do not address me in such a manner. Come on now, we need to get to that interview. After that we can discuss this ridiculous relationship with your friend here, and the proper way to speak to your mother." Julianna gave Alicia's arm a tug and defeated Alicia followed her out of the shop.

"Mother wait!" She gave a tug and pulled herself away from her mum. "George?" Pausing outside the shop, she turned to face him. He had yet to answer her question, and if there were ever a time to do it, now would be it. "You never answered me…what do you want?"

George stood in the doorway with the same look of defeat on his face. In Julianna's eyes he would never be good enough for her daughter. Perhaps she was right. The cold stare she was giving him seemed to offer him no window of opportunity. Alicia deserved to be up on a pedestal, and he knew that was something he could never give her, but he had his love to shower her in. Wouldn't that suffice?

"What do you want?"

Her words echoed through his head over and over again, and he stepped out of the shop pausing in front of her. He caught her mother's eyes and narrowed his own as she glared at him. "Ali, I want-"

"Alicia, now!" Her mother's voice pierced through the air and Alicia jumped slightly in place.

"What? You want what?" Her eyes pleaded with him as she felt her mothers hand grip her arm yet again.

"Alicia you can come back here and discuss this absurdity later. Right now you have a very important interview to attend with a very important woman! We can not be late! Have you no sense of courtesy?"

George shoved his hands in the pockets of his trousers. He couldn't do this now. Not with her mother standing like a vulture over their shoulders. "Alicia, go to the interview. This can wait." He had hoped she would catch the hint that he still wanted to see her, but her eyes that had held so much hope suddenly looked disappointed.

"So that's it? You just want me to go?" She questioned one last time as her mother hissed disapproving words in her ear.

"Just come back to me, ok? We can talk later."

"No George." She shook her head. " I gave you the chance to do it now. It was a one time thing. I'm not going to continue to play silly children's games with you. No more chasing…no more waiting. I'll- " Her voice cracked. " I'll see you." With her mother's hand firmly wrapped around her arm she turned from him and began towards the Cauldron.

"Ali!" He gave one last holler before heading back into the shop where Charlie's fist waited patiently for him. "What the hell!" He cursed as his hand flew immediately to his eye.

"Go after her." Charlie shook his aching hand and nodded towards the door. "Don't let her walk away from you…don't let this go. Go after her."

"I don't exactly think she wants to see me right now." George moved behind the front desk and grabbed his wand. Muttering a healing charm he sighed as the pain in his face subsided.

Charlie stormed behind the desk and grabbed his brother by the collar. "Come on…"

"Hey!" George yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Lets go…" Charlie gave Fred a nod and Fred opened up the front door. "Don't come back until you've apologized to that girl…actually don't come back until you've stopped being an idiot." Slamming the door in George's face Charlie and Fred's laughter could be heard on the other side of the door.

"Wankers." George muttered to himself as he made his way down the street towards the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

"Miss Spinnet, please please have a seat." Cecilia Renderwook ushered Alicia and her mother into the nicest looking booth in the joint. 

Immediately Alicia signaled to Tom for a drink. There was no way in bloody hell she was sitting through this catastrophe without the aide of a little liquor. When Tom gave her a nod and a smile, Alicia settled back into the booth and pretended not to hear her mother mention something about the uniting of two strong individual. There was an exchange of phony laughter from both women, and Alicia felt her eyeballs roll up into the back of her head. Perhaps she would have been better off fighting with brainless George.

George.

The thought sent a sudden ache within her and she quickly turned her face away from the two women so they wouldn't notice. What made it so bloody hard for him to just say it? It wasn't a difficult thing to come out and admit. Either you love someone or you don't?

"Where's the goddamn difficulty?" She muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me?" The woman Cecilia adjusted her large oval glasses upon her crooked nose.

Folding her arms over her chest she sighed. "Nothing."

"Well then we should get to this interview." Brushing a piece of mousy brown hair out of her eyes, Cecilia lifted her quill and hovered the tip over a blank piece of parchment. "I just want you to answer me as honestly as possible." Alicia gave a nod, though it looked like she struggled to do so. "Good. Lets see…ah, to begin why don't you describe you how you met the very handsome Oliver Wood."

Alicia cast a long look out the teeny tiny window by the bar. "Hogwarts." She stated bluntly.

Cecilia inched her head a little bit close as though waiting for Alicia to continue. "…and." She rolled her quill between her index finger and her thumb.

Moving her attention from the window, she glared at her mother who had taken the liberty of kicking her beneath the table. " And what?"

"And how exactly did this chance meeting at Hogwarts occur? Alicia, as you know Oliver is a very big man in the Quidditch league, and our readers do have a right to know every single detail about their favorite keeper." She winked.

"Isn't that invasion of privacy?" She gave a sigh of relief as Tom placed some sort of concoction out in front of her. "Thanks Tom."

The woman adjusted her glasses again, this time her voice cracking in a frustrated tone. "Miss Spinnet if you do not wish to have this interview I can certainly call it off."

"OH no!" Julianna swept her arm lovingly around Alicia's shoulder. "Alicia just gets nervous. In fact I overheard her tell her father earlier, you know Winston Spinnet of Spinnet Stocks, that she wanted to keep her relationship with Oliver a secret because it was getting quite serious." She tapped her finger down upon the parchment. "Why don't you include that little bit in your article."

Cecilia's eyes were wide. "Really? So this means we can expect a wedding soon?"

"What? No!" Alicia shot her mother the patented look of death. " There is definitely no marriage set for the future, and furthermore I never said- ow!" Her eyes watered slightly as her mother kicked her beneath the table again. "Can we move on?" She rubbed at her shin.

"Of course, dear. Let's see, how long have you been seeing Oliver?"

Alicia chuckled. " Actually only a couple of days, well unless you count all the years we spent together in school."

"So you dated him in school?" Cecilia rubbed the quills feather against her chin.

"What? No!" Her arms shot out in front of her to stop the woman from writing anything down. Of course her mother kicked her again. " What I meant to say-" Her words hissed through her clenched teeth. " was that I have known Oliver since I was eleven. Therefore I've seen him a long time, but have only been 'seeing' him for a few days now."

"Interesting." Cecilia mumbled some things under her breath and Alicia recalled all the boring interviews she had to do when in Australia. Never much fun. "Would you say that this relationship is perhaps a pent up emotional desire that had built from Hogwarts?"

"What? No! Damn!" She glared at her mother as her shin ached in tremendous pain.

Cecilia let her eyes drift between the two Spinnet women before jotting something down on the parchment. "Well can I at least assume at least that your relationship with Oliver Wood is a steady and serious one? You aren't seeing anyone else are you? We already know he isn't cause he gave us his interview yesterday. "

Alicia felt her mothers eye's burn holes into the side of her face. Heaven forbid fathers precious company loses out on free publicity. " I- well you see there is…" George's image haunted her head like a damn poltergeist, and she silently wished he hadn't turned her away no more then twenty minutes ago. She had gone into that shop with hope, she had gone in there with the choice to take things into her own hands. She did. She offered him the chance to confess and he had failed. Once again he had shut up his bloody emotions and kept her out of his heart. Looking up into Julianna's eyes she knew it was the dumbest move she could ever possibly do, but sudden lack of care that had washed over her. Suddenly she just didn't give a bloody damn about one goddamn thing. "Yes, yes it's very serious in fact. We care for each other very much." She answered softly.

Across the room, hidden from view, George dropped the extendable ear he had been holding and stormed out of the Leaky Cauldron.

"No wait!" Alicia's hand shot out and grabbed the woman's quill and watched in horror as her ink tumbled over and spilled across her white cloak.

"Alicia I think you owe Ms. Renderwook an apology, a very sincere apology." Julianna looked as thought she were about to have kneazles.

"Oh for Merlin's beard! I'm so sorry, I am!" Alicia quickly took out her wand and performed every cleansing charm she could remember. Fortunately when she was finished only a pale gray residue resided on the cloak.

"Quite all right now." Cecilia gave a very strained smile and picked up her quill again. "Now what were you so insistent on telling me?"

" I'm sorry mum." She offered the weakest smile to her mother before turning back to Cecilia. " You see, my relationship with Oliver is serious. I've known him for a very long time, and he was one of my very good friends while we were in school. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for him mostly because he was the only who introduced me to Quidditch. It quickly became my second greatest passion at school. I owe Oliver a lot. He's a wonderful guy." She grinned. " I care about him deeply." She shifted slightly in her seat so her legs could avoid any sudden blows from her mother. "But you see as much as I care for Oliver I am deeply in love with another man. And that…" She tapped her finger down on the parchment. " that you can definitely place in your article."

She was certain her mother was screaming at her, and she knew Cecilia Renderwook was quickly firing off more questions about some secret love affair, but Alicia sat at the booth silently and calmly. In fact the only thing she did was bring her drink to her lips and down the harsh liquid in one smooth motion, and for one whole minute it drowned out the obnoxious voices of the two women sitting with her.

* * *

Ok first things first: Charmed777, harrysmom, Whispered Paradox, Will There Ever Be a Rainbow, KitKat001, Best Deception , Jagged Epiphany, Twisted Little Star, Oliverwoodschic, HarryPotterFan, Heartstring, Clueless Bystander, LCH8292, FizzingWhizbeez , CarbonMonoxide and M….. 

You guys really are the ammunition that keeps me going. Most of you have been so incredibly loyal reviewers right from the beginning, and I absolutely give you thanks from the bottom of my heart. It's so awesome to get a little bit of something from each of you, and it definitely keeps pushing me to do my very best. Thank you a million times over and over!

Like always it would be awesome for a little bit of feedback so if you hit that little button and leave me a review I will …I don't know I'll do something really cool. Just ask me and I'll do it. Thanks!


	17. The Price of Being Human

Hello everybody! Yeah I know it took me awhile to get this out. I was just making sure that the whole Oliver scene was perfect. I mean after all it's Oliver and things have to be perfect for him! Anywho I really want to move on and thank each and everyone of you, but I'm getting anxious to just post this so I'm just opening my arms and giving each of you a enormous hug! You guys are great!

Oh and here's a little plug before I go. I have recently joined a HP RPG site. It's brand spankin new, and a lot of the cannon characters are still open. If you are interested in playing on this board, which is going to be loads and loads of fun, you should check it out:

manifestmagic. proboards44. com (there's no www, and take away those spaces. The stupid site is giving me a hard time uploading the web link so I had to do it like this.)

The people there are super nice, and Rping is awesome fun! I've been rping for about six years now, and I still can't get enough. Definitely come check it out though because it's such a fun way to interact with the HP world while working on your writing skills.

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 17- The Price of Being Human

"Look Oliver, I can't help it if I've finally realized I'm in love with Katie. Uh, I think I'm allergic to dating? My mum punished me and now I'm not allowed to date until I'm thirty…Bloody hell you are worse then Beverly." Alicia groaned as Angelina continued to shake her head back and forth. "At least she told me my excuses sucked. You just keep shaking your head like it's on a goddamn hinge."

Angelina just glanced over at Lee who was holding back his laughter. Smacking him lightly on the arm, Angelina returned her gaze to Alicia and shrugged. "You never were much of a liar. Honestly do you think Oliver is gonna buy any of that crap?"

Alicia leaned back into the soft cushions of the booth and looked out the window. The Palace restaurant was bustling across the street and she wondered if Oliver was inside waiting for her. Angelina had opted to take her to the coffee house located across from The Palace, which they were sitting in now, and Lee had followed along simply because Katie was busy at the Hospital. Alicia wished she didn't have to attend the stupid dinner, but breaking off with Oliver in person was a little more polite then sending him an owl like she did with Warren.

"He might." She pressed her nose to the window. "Is that him?" She pointed to a man stepping out of a long carriage.

Lee, who was closer to the window, pressed his own nose against it. "Nah I think it's a woman actually. Beastly looking thing." He shuttered.

"So how are you going to go about this? I mean you should just be honest about everything, Ali. It's going to be in the Prophet tomorrow." Angelina pointed out before taking a sip of the tea she had ordered. "Just be honest, and don't beat around the bush like you usually do."

"I agree. Just tell Oliver you hate him and then skip on over to George's flat and snog the hell out of him." Lee grinned.

"God Lee! I don't hate Oliver. I'm just-" She rolled her eyes. " Why am I explaining any of this to you anyway? You live in your own world regardless of what anyone says." Taking a breath she looked back at Angelina. "You think he's gonna be upset? I mean he was so excited about this whole interview…our relationship…I just don't want to be cruel."

"Oh it's not gonna matter much how nice you are tonight. By morning you are going to have howlers from fans across the globe. Oliver is high class, Ali, and you just told the Prophet that you are in love with someone else."

Alicia's eyes went wide. "You really think it's going to be that bad?" Her fingers fidgeted with the bracelet on her left wrist.

"Positive." Angelina didn't even blink an eye.

Alicia's hands shot up to her forehead and she groaned. It's not like she wanted to make things weird and difficult. It was just too hard fighting off her feelings for George. As much as she wanted to, as much as she tried to, she just couldn't shake the fuzzy feeling in her stomach when he was with her. Even if he was a prime git. "Why does everything have to be so difficult?" Her voice was squeaky and whiney and Lee covered his ears as the noise continued on.

Reaching out and removing Alicia's hands from her head, Angelina chuckled at the state of her best friend. "Look Ali, you know, as well as everyone else, that you are meant to be with George. Just suck it up and get to it before we all go insane." Lee nodded his approval of Angelina's statement.

"You two are absolutely no help, you know that?" Alicia scooted from the booth and rose to her feet. "How do I look?" She spun around slightly.

Lee nearly spit his coffee out of his mouth. "Your going in there…" He pointed to the Palace, " like that?" When Alicia nodded he burst into a fit.

"What? I'm supposed to be breaking it off with Captain Blood not romancing him anymore." Alicia placed her hands on her hips and looked down at her well planned ensemble.

She had decided to go very casual despite Angelina's warning that The Palace was very upscale. The dark blue jeans she was wearing were a bit baggy in the knee area, and flared out around the ankle just enough to show off her brand new white slip on sneakers. Around her waist she had tied a green sash which added some color to the plan white v-neck tank she had thrown on. All together she thought she looked ok. The neck of the tank plunged down just enough to make it look sorta fancy, and Angelina had let her borrow a simple silver chain that had a quaffle charm at the end. She had let her long dark hair fall down her back, and she had even let Angelina straighten it for her. What the hell was Lee laughing at then?

"Oi, Ali…" He was slapping his hand so hard on the table that Alicia thought it was going to break in two. "Oliver is going to be so glad you are breaking it off with him."

With a scowl on her lips, Alicia leaned over the table and grabbed Lee by the collar of his shirt. "One more chuckle out of you Jordan, and Katie's gonna have to start looking for a man who is equipped, if you catch my drift."

Shutting up rather quickly Lee shook his head up and down. "Ok ok I'm sorry." He held his hands up in the air to show his defeat. "All I'm saying is that you are going to walk into that place and the guy at the front desk is going to turn you out."

Letting go of his collar Alicia narrowed her eyes. "You are crazy, Lee. Does Katie tell you that enough?" She shook her head. "What are they going to do, deny me from the bloody place cause I'm not decked out like every other phony in there?"

* * *

"I'm telling you my date, Oliver Wood, is in there waiting for me." Alicia tried to push by the very large security guard at the front door. 

"Right miss, and I'm one of the Weird Sisters." His deep voice cackled out something that sounded like a laugh.

"If you'd let my arm go I'd be able to show you some identification! I am Alicia Spinnet! If you please…." She continued to yank her arm from his meaty grasp, but the gorilla in the puke green dress robe continued to hold her with an incredible force.

"Spinnet? As in Spinnet Stocks?" When Alicia nodded the disfigured mammoth threw back his head with a laugh. "Sorry sweetie but we are going to wait here until Mr. Wood comes outside so he can identify you as _Ms. Alicia Spinnet. _" He laughed again and tossed a look over to another beefy looking security jerk. " When Mr. Wood turns you away maybe we can meet for a drink later? You may not be high class, but you certainly got a body." He laughed again and his friend tossed a thumbs up.

That was enough.

"Let go of me you goddamn sleazy son of a bitch!" She had forgotten how easily her temper flared.

"Oh and check this out Owen, a little lip." The oversized slimy buffoon tightened his claws around her arm. "Just how I like them." His face had dropped inches from her own and she could feel the grimy heat hit her skin.

"I swear to Merlin, when Oliver gets out here you both will be out of a job! Now let me go before-"

"Before what?" He cackled again.

"Before I turn both of you into the authorities!" Oliver's voice boomed behind the two men.

The buffoon holding onto Alicia's arm quickly dropped his hand as Oliver pointed his want at his fat neck. Alicia smirked as she rubbed the sore spot on her arm, and then without hesitation kicked him in the shin with all of her might. "That's what you get for being a wanker!" She grinned as the grotesque troll yelped in pain.

"Look Mr. Wood, we just thought- I didn't know- Owen told me-" The ape pointed at his beefy looking friend who waved his hand frantically back and forth.

"Are you going to say something or continue to babble like an idiot?" Oliver advanced on the man, and a few onlookers began to crowd around the front entrance of the restaurant.

Neither man spoke at first, mostly because Oliver kept flashing his wand between the two of them. Despite their enormous size it was obvious how terrified they were of the Quidditch Keeper before them. Alicia was rather taken back.

The oversized beast who had been holding Alicia leaned over towards Oliver with his hands raised in the air to show his surrender. With his eyes flickering towards Alicia once he moved towards Oliver's ear and whispered. Well at least tried to whisper though Alicia heard every word he said. "We just didn't think she looked like your type, Mr. Wood. I mean Owen was the one who pointed out how plain and unfashionable she was for The Palace. You see we aren't accustomed to people coming in here wearing average things." He have a nod in her direction again, and Alicia was certain her face had to be crimson.

"Well I am so bloody sorry for being so bloody ordinary! Next time I come here I'll be sure to wear my self-absorbed dress robes so I fit in with these riveting people!" She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the stuffy onlookers behind her. There were quite a few huffs at her outburst, but she didn't care. Like Angelina had said, tomorrow she'd be receiving howlers from every part of the globe. No reason to go making friends now.

"Calm down, Alicia." Oliver reached out with his right hand and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "There's no reason for you to have to defend yourself to the likes of these blokes. Lets get inside…" He had slipped his hand down from her shoulder and gave her a shove on the small of her back. "I have some wine waiting inside for us."

Alicia let a satisfied grin appear on her face as she waltzed by the two idiots at the door. Completely ashamed of what had just occurred both men just turned their backs as she walked by. If she had a spare second she would have hexed them on her way in, but with Oliver hustling her inside she didn't have time to grab her wand from her jeans pocket.

"Thanks for that." She smiled as they slipped through a few tables and found their table towards the back of the restaurant.

"No problem." He pulled out her chair and let his hand sweep across her shoulders as she took her seat. " You look really stressed, Alicia. I'm sorry about those blokes out there." He moved around the table and took his own seat across from her.

"Huh? Oh yeah well prats like that can be a little stressful." She suddenly felt sick. Why did he have to be so bloody nice? Alicia's eyes wandered across the elegant dining hall as she tried to think of the easiest way to bring up her sudden change of heart. Unfortunately when his hand reached across the table and covered her own she flickered her eyes back to him. Trying to refrain from being rude Alicia slipped her hand away from his and pointed towards a large staircase towards the other end of the hall. "What's that?"

Looking a bit perturbed at her retraction, Oliver sighed and gestured towards the staircase. "It leads to the hotel rooms upstairs. A lot of people come here for large benefits and then stay upstairs in the lavish rooms. Quite nice actually. Some are about the size of regulation Quidditch fields."

"Right." She gave a nod and continued to let her eyes roam over the place. "This is quite a joint." Becoming completely absorbed in the lavish atmosphere, Oliver desperately tried to regain her attention.

"Alicia" Oliver tapped the table to get her attention, " hey earth to Alicia!" He yanked at her hand until she turned back to him.

"What?"

"You ok? I mean first the fiasco at the front door, now your zoning out….it was the interview wasn't it?" He picked up his napkin and placed it down upon his lap.

Alicia felt her palms go sweaty. "The interview? Who said anything about the interview?" Her words were coming out so fast that she barely had time to take a breath. "Was something said about the interview? Did you hear something about the interview? How long have you known the interview went bad? Did my mother tell you? I could always do another interview to fix things-" This was when she paused and took a very deep breath in order to keep from passing out.

"Alicia!" He held out his hand to stop her. " You need to take a breath. Here…" He picked up her glass of wine and handed it to her " drink some of this."

Instead of sipping it like a normal human she gulped it down. "Are we ordering? Where's the waiter? I need something to eat before-" She stopped short.

Oliver's eyes went squinty. "Before what?" Covering her eyes with her hand she took a long pause before saying a word. Confessions were never much her forte. "Come on Alicia. Tell me." His eyes pleaded with her own and she suddenly wished she could disappear and never see Oliver again.

"Oliver the interview was just-" She shook her head back and forth.

"Cecilia gave you a hard time, didn't she?" He leaned back into his seat with such a casual smile. "She does that a lot." He chuckled. "She loves to make people feel uncomfortable about that sort of thing. Hell, I should know since she's been interviewing me for about three years."

"Just be honest, and don't beat around the bush like you usually do."

Oh sure, Angelina's words sounded simple enough, but every time she looked into the poor blokes eyes she felt her heart turn to mush. How was she supposed to do this? She quickly began to think of alternative methods to breaking the news. Though writing it down on the napkin and handing it to him sounded just as stupid as going to the bathroom and asking the waiter to relay the message. Her alternative methods were just as wonky as her excuses.

"Oliver…" she swallowed " Cecilia was a tad annoying, and the interview was well…" She scrunched her face up in hopes that he'd catch her drift. " Still there is a lot more to it."

"Like?" His eyebrow arched up.

Well it was now or never. " Look, it's not like I went in there and expected anything that happened to actually happen. To be honest I was dead set on going in there and making the most out of this little interview." She folded her hands together on top of the table. "But sitting across from Cecilia as she asked asinine questions while my mother nagged in my ear was just too much. I couldn't lie about what was in my heart." There was a slight pause in her speech which gave Oliver just enough time to squeeze in one word.

"George?"

Her mouth gaped open. "But- I never said anything. How'd you know?"

"Wasn't much of a secret now was it?" He shook his head. "Plus I saw Katie this morning when I brought my owl in for a few shots. I asked how you were and she said that you were tired this morning. When I asked what you were tired from she said, and I quote,

'she was up all night with Geo-' which is where she cut herself off. " He chuckled. "Then she got really red and started to stutter and instead of just finishing her sentence and saying George she said Fred. Which made her stutter even more until she just took my owl and disappeared into the back room." He shrugged. "Quite funny actually."

"So you aren't angry?" She bit nervously on her lower lip.

"What's there to be angry about? I knew, even from the moment I saw you in The Light Café, that your heart still belonged to him. I'll be honest though, I definitely thought I had a chance after that kiss." He leaned forward and clasped his own hands around hers. "But who am I kidding? I can't fight for your heart when you obviously don't want to give it to anyone else." Alicia thought she saw a glimmer of pain in his eyes, but she dismissed it when he smiled again. " Plus we went on what, two dates? I wasn't expecting you to throw down and marry me, Spinnet. No harm done here." He held up his hands. "Hell it was just nice being around you again."

"My mum is going to be disappointed." She grinned as the tension slowly began to leave her body. " She was already planning our nuptials." This caused Oliver to throw his head back in heavy laughter. "What's so funny about that?" She tossed her napkin at him as she choked back her own laughter. "Is marrying me really that hilarious." He could only nod yes as he continued to laugh. "You are completely awful, Oliver!" But by now she was joining in his laughter, and had forgotten how terrified she had been about breaking off the relationship in the first place.

"Alicia" he began as the laughing slowly subsided, " you are an amazing witch! Bloody brilliant, funny, beautiful, not to mention stubborn, independent and sometimes a bit scary, but never in a million years would I marry you." He started laughing again.

Her eyes turned into narrow slits and she felt her cheeks grow awfully red. "And why not?"

Holding his hands up in defense he spoke quickly. "Cause I'm stuffy, boring, self-absorbed-"

"Quidditch obsessed, a pain in the arse-"

Reaching over the table he covered her mouth. "Right, I think the portrait is painted." She nodded and he removed his hand. "What I was trying to say is that we are completely different people. You like to go out and have fun, be adventurous, and get in people's faces. While I like to figure out Quidditch strategies and have cocktail hour with the Quidditch comity board. Dating between us would have been one thing, but marriage is definitely another."

Silence.

She stared at him from across the table trying to absorb any hint of sarcasm that might have been oozing from his pores. When she couldn't find anything she simply shrugged and waved her hand in the air to signal the waiter. She was starving, and since they had resolved the situation without a hitch there was no reason why she couldn't sit back and enjoy a well cooked meal.

"So we're good?" She grabbed a fresh napkin and placed it on her lap.

"Perfect." He held up his hand with a smile.

"And we wont be telling anyone the reason why we aren't going to date anymore, will we?" She raised her eyebrows.

"What reasons?" He grinned when she chuckled.

"Friends?" Holding her hand out across the table, Alicia felt the corners of her lips turn up into a smile when he firmly grasped her hand.

"Friends."

"Great lets order some food I'm starving!" Opening up her menu, her eyes danced around the delicious choices.

Oliver, on the other hand, wasn't interested in the menu at all. In fact he was more occupied with the cloaked figure standing in the corner of the dining hall waving three fingers in the air. A signal that only two other people knew. Something was up.

"Hey Ali, I'm going to head to the loo. If the waiter comes by just tell him that I'll take the usual, ok?" He pushed back from the table and winked.

"The usual? Geez I wish I had an usual in a joint like this." Shaking her head she went back to studying the menu while Oliver moved by her and headed towards the figure.

He didn't know why James had decided to come see him now, but this definitely wasn't a good time. Not with Alicia sitting a mere ten feet away. He pointed towards the loo and James gave a nod as he turned on his heel and pushed the door open. Once they were both inside Oliver checked the stalls to make certain they were completely alone.

When he reached the last stall he looked up at James with such fury that James stumbled back against the bathroom wall. "Look I didn't want to come here and ruin your little romantic rendezvous, but Miles was getting on my case."

Oliver sighed. He knew this was going to happen. Miles Bletchley had never been the patient type. "What does he want? Last time I saw him I told him he had to be patient."

"Well I really think he's through being patient, Ollie." James reached into the pocket of his dirty gray robes and pulled out a scroll. He kept his eyes glued on Oliver as he unrolled the parchment, and trying to pass some time he nodded towards the door. "How's the date going? Gods she is a great looking witch!"

"Forget about the date, James! Read me that damn parchment!" He really wasn't in the mood for stalling. Judging from James' face this obviously wasn't very good news.

James sighed. "Ok ok, don't get your knickers in a twist, Wood." He rolled his eyes and then took a moment to clear his throat. " It's says…

Wood,

If you don't get me the money by this Saturday then all deals are off. There is an extent to my selfish ways, and although the money would certainly come in handy, I'd rather watch you squirm yourself to a loss then take your filthy money any later then Saturday. It's this or nothing, Wood. I want one hundred thousand galleons in a bag and presented to me by this Saturday or you can find yourself another throw.

Bletchley"

Oliver covered his face with his right hand. There was no way in hell he could rake up a hundred thousand galleons by Saturday. He had lost a good fifty thousand on a poor bet last month, and now the money he had left was being carefully watched by the Quidditch comity. If he withdrew that much money it would certainly raise suspicion amongst the comity. What the hell was he supposed to do?

"Bloody hell!" He slammed his hand against the wall and cursed. "Do you have anything we could throw him? I mean no one is looking at your accounts cause your clean." He quirked an eyebrow in the direction of his teammate.

James held up his hands and shook his head. "Not for nothing, Ollie, but I knew this was a bad idea from the start. I know how important it is for you to make the cup this year, but don't you think this is going a little too far?"

Shaking his head in disagreement, Oliver began to pace the bathroom. "Nothing is ever too far when it comes to winning…and we will win it this year. I'll see to it." He growled in frustration.

"Don't you think you should get back to your date?" James questioned as Oliver continued to pace around the toilets.

This was when it hit him. Oh and he hated himself for thinking it, but it could definitely work. Merlin's beard, he was positive it would work! The only trouble was feeling terribly guilty about dragging her into his mess of a life. Still she was awfully gullible when she wanted to be. Stubborn or not, he was certain he could coax her just enough before she'd offer it up on her own. This was his only choice. He had to do it!

"You've just given me a brilliant idea, mate." Oliver clasped his hand down around James' shoulder. " You know that girl that I'm on that date with?"

"Yeah, Spinnet right?" And this was when the same funny look appeared in James' eye. "That's low, mate, but brilliant. She's stinkin rich, isn't she? Pop has loads of money in some business, right?"

Oliver nodded mutely. "As much as I hate bringing Alicia into this I know I can get the money from her. Hell, once we have the cup in the bag I'll have more then enough money to pay her back." He grinned, though the pangs in his chest continued to remind him what a bastard he was.

"So what are you going to do? You thinking waltzing back to the table and asking her for one hundred thousand galleons doesn't sound sketchy?" James followed at Oliver's heel as he left the bathroom.

"Alicia's a sucker for sob stories…I'm sure I can conjure one up. I'll take care of everything tonight, and meet with you tomorrow. Oh" he stopped short causing James to collide into his back. " if you see Bletchley be sure to tell him that I'll have his bloody money in a few days."

"Yeah yeah." James waved his hand over his shoulder as he slipped through the crowd and out of sight.

Oliver on the other hand weaved through the tables and grinned as he took his seat across from Alicia. She was already eating a green salad and he felt his own stomach rumble slightly when he realized how famished he was.

"I put your order in." She mumbled through bites of her greens. "Get on this salad, its delicious!"

"Looks it." He gave an awkward sort of smile before picking up his fork and sampling a tiny bite.

Alicia placed her fork down and felt her nose scrunch. "You all right? You were gone an awfully long time in the bathroom."

He shrugged as his fork played around with the tomato. " I'm fine I just ran into an acquaintance and we started talking about a few things that just shook me up a bit."

"Really? Bout what?" She reached for her glass of wine and took a small sip.

"You know sometimes I don't think life is very fair." He started playing with a few cucumbers before slamming the fork down on the table and glancing at an elderly lady who had given him a dirty look. "You know my teammate James? The one who showed up at the Hospital that night?" He waited for her to nod. "I just ran into his cousin in the bathroom and he was telling me how sick his son is. Apparently the poor kid has some sort of illness that's sending them cross country and into Germany. Apparently they have a medi-witch there who knows something about his skin infection, or whatever it is." He rubbed his fingers over his eyes. "Now the poor guy is trying to rake together a hundred thousand galleons to pay for some bullshit cure for his seven year old son…I don't know why James didn't tell me."

Alicia's face had gone white, and her mouth was slightly ajar. "Oh Oliver! That's awful!" Her hand had gone up to cover her mouth, and he was pretty sure her eyes were tearing. "He probably didn't want to burden anyone with something so heartbreaking."

"But it's a kid, Alicia!" He let his voice crack. " Kids are supposed to run around and scrape their knees and do silly stupid things like Fred and George did when they were little. They shouldn't have to endure something so dreadful so young. Especially when those money hungry wankers are barely doing anything to help them financially."

"When was he leaving for Germany?" She suddenly asked in a very serious tone.

"Tomorrow morning." He pushed his dinner plate away and sat back in his chair.

"Will you be able to see James tomorrow? I mean he'll probably be going there for support, right?" She was reaching down towards her bag.

Oliver felt that damn guilty lump rise up again, but he pushed it very far away when he saw her reach for a slip of banking paper. "Darrick, that's his cousin, said that James and a few other relatives wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow night. I guess I'm going to have to hunt him down or something."

"Well you definitely will have to." She was busy scratching her quill against the parchment, so she didn't bother to look up at him. " Cause I'm going to give you a note for a hundred thousand galleons." And just as she finished saying it, she handed Oliver the speck of parchment with the official request. "It will be taken out of the direct account my father set up for me when I was five. I have more than enough money in there to spare, and that little boy certainly needs it more than I do."

"Alicia this is ridiculous!" He 'protested', but knew she'd give him a stern look to shut him up. Oliver stared at the parchment in his hand. There in blank bold ink it read ' One hundred thousand Galleons' from the account of Alicia Spinnet is to be give to one, Oliver Wood. "Why'd you put it in my name?" He tried to refrain from sounding as giddy as a school girl.

"Figured you could cash it in tomorrow and then just hand the cash to James when you see him. Sorta like a surprise or something." She shrugged again. "You just make sure he gets it so that boy gets better. Oh and Oliver, make sure no one gets wind of this. I really don't feel like doing another interview."

His birthday had come early! He felt his hands begin to shake. He had done it. In his hands was a bank note for a hundred thousand galleons, and he had barely even stirred a sweat to get it. Plus she didn't even want credit for it! Life could only be so damn easy. He'd meet with James tomorrow, explain the situation, get back to Alicia and tell her that he sent the money off to Germany, and that was it.

"You know Alicia…" Oliver kept his fingers wrapped tightly around the note. " you are one of the greatest people I have ever known." With that he picked up his wine glass and clinked it against hers.

"I only do what I can to make things right." She shrugged and began to pick at her salad again.

In the dictionary the word gullible was right next to the smiling picture of Alicia Spinnet. Oliver grinned at the thought. She had absolutely no idea how right things were now.

* * *

In the following chapter we have something that I've been dying to write ever since I started this fic…..BACHELORETTE PARTY! And a bachelor party. I'm more excited for the ladies party! It's going to be hilarious! I think Alicia's drunk handstand contests might make another appearance. Anyway….. 

I certainly do love you all, and a little bit of love and feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!


	18. Germany Holds the Truth

Since it took me like four years to get this chapter up I decided not to do any direct thank you's this chapter. It's been hard updating as frequently as I would like, but that's what happens when school starts up again. I hope you all enjoy what happens in this chapter cause there are only a few chapters left of this fic. Thanks so much guys! I love you!

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 18- Germany Holds the Truth

Did you ever wonder what it would be like to date a famous Quidditch player? Twenty five year old Alicia Spinnet got to ride that broom most recently with Puddlemere United Keeper, Oliver Wood. Friends for many years, Ms. Spinnet and Mr. Wood rekindled a romance that had been bubbling since their school days at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"We've been seeing each other since I was eleven." Quoted Ms. Spinnet during her interview at The Three Broomsticks yesterday. A young love affair on the brink of becoming the couple of the year, both parties admitted their relationship was quite serious.

"I never really met anyone as extraordinary as Alicia before." Oliver stated as he signed autographs in Diagon Alley two days ago. "If I had known how amazing she was back in school I wouldn't have waited so long to ask her out."

It began simply enough when Ms. Spinnet returned home from an eight year hiatus in Australia. It was only a day or so before Ms. Spinnet was set up on a date by her good friend, Angelina Johnson, a ministry employee whom remained connected to Mr. Wood. When the two met for lunch at The Light Café, it was again an immediate connection.

"We clicked, just like we did back in school." So said Mr. Wood. "I knew I had to see her again."

But as quaint and romantic as this blissful relationship sounds there are skeletons in the closet that are already surfacing. As Mr. Wood bought flowers for his latest lover she was busy telling me how she is currently in love with another man.

"My heart belongs to another man." Quoted the temptress.

When asked to elaborate on this slimy affair, Ms. Spinnet proceeded to ignore the accusations and double up on her drinks. Her mother, Julianna Spinnet, wife of Winston Spinnet of Spinnet Stocks, was there to comment on the rising situation.

"The silly girl keeps her head in the clouds. I'm convinced that this other bloke has slipped her a love potion."

A bit desperate perhaps?

Apparently not according to Julianna. "I've met this buffoon before. Gregory Something or other. Mark my words he is definitely the type to poison my daughters mind. He is a pathetic, lousy, low life of a man."

Yet can all the blame sit in the hands of this other man?

Sources tell us Ms. Spinnet had only been using Mr. Wood in order to get her failing journalism career moving again.

"Girls a bit of a mooch." States ex-boyfriend and employer Warren Willis. "She used me to get a job here at my magazine and then broke it off once she felt stable."

I tried to reach Mr. Wood for further discussion, but was unable to locate him on such short notice.

So what can we now expect from the newest vixen in town?

"I suspect she'll go run and hide from all this." Warren added. Though her ex roommate, Beverly Clarke, spoke otherwise.

"Alicia is the strongest person I know. If people are gonna buy this nonsense about her that's their problem. She wont care. Furthermore it's about time she admitted she loves George. She used to yell out his name in her sleep all the time!"

Who is Ms. Alicia Spinnet? A clever mooch, a sassy temptress? One things for sure, she isn't very bright. Choosing the owner of a local joke shop over a world renown keeper just seems simply outlandish.

The above article written by:

Cecilia Renderwook

"I can't believe she printed all this wonky stuff about me!" Alicia's face was glued to the pages of the Prophet. "Thank Merlin Bev spoke on my behalf though I still don't know how she found out about Warren and Beverly in the first place."

"Would you please put that damn newspaper away! I swear on Merlin if you read through it one more time I'm throwing you out of this carriage." Angelina ripped the paper from Alicia's hands and pulled out her wand. "Geez, Alicia this is supposed to be a fun night, not a freakin discussion group over that ridiculous article."

"Besides," Katie spoke up from the other side of the carriage. " You've read it like forty times today. Aren't you bored with it yet?"

Ginny let out a muffled laugh as she opened the window of the carriage. "You know what hasn't become boring yet?" She pointed to the window as a red envelope was tossed in by a brown barn owl.

"Ginny!" Alicia reached over and slapped the girl across the leg. " I said no more howlers! I've been trying to dodge them as much as possible!" She quickly made a grab for it, but it was already too late. The envelope started to shake and contort, and the next thing they all knew it was screaming directly into Alicia's face.

'You hussy! Nightwalker of a woman! Slut! How dare you toy with that poor mans heart! You should be absolutely ashamed of yourself. Someone as glorious as Oliver Wood does not deserve a lowlife money grubber such as yourself! I hope you rot in hell you filthy, trampy, son of a - I'm terribly sorry Ms. Spinnet. My mum is sixty four and a bit off in the head. Though I do agree that you are indeed a slut there is no need for yelling. Have a lovely day."

"Well." Katie removed a tiny slip of parchment from her cleavage. "That's number forty three. I still think the one from Madam Hooch was the funniest!" She slapped her knee in laughter as she returned the tallied parchment to its resting place.

"Yeah, who knew she had a thing for Wood all those years." Angelina choked back her own laugh

"It's rather disgusting. Harry told me that she once approached him after a game while he was still in the showers. Said he nearly had a heart attack." Hermione clicked her tongue upon the roof of her mouth. " Though I wonder what it would be like to see Harry in the showers."

"Hermione!" The other four girls shrieked.

"What?" The blush in her cheeks had surfaced and she quickly turned to look out the window.

"I'm telling Ron!" Ginny chirped in her seat as she continued to laugh hysterically.

"It's only a thought that I had. There's no need to go making it this huge thing." Hermione retorted with a huff as she continued to stare.

"Yeah yeah…" Ginny rolled her eyes and looked out the window as a few owls floated by with red envelopes. A smile crept to her face and just as she was about to let the window down Alicia grabbed her hand.

"I swear Gin I will hex the hell out of you."

Ginny shot her head back with a manic laugh. "All right, I get it. No more howlers. So" She changed the subject without a problem, " where'd you get this magnificent carriage Katie?"

The girls nodded in agreement with Ginny's question. The carriage they were riding in was simply spectacular. Large enough to fit them all comfortably, the inside was garnished with soft leather couches and a fully functional bar. Beautiful satin drapes hung from the ceiling and touched the tops of their heads as they sat there. The windows were large and oval, and by pressing a small silver button they'd magically part and let in the cool nights breeze. Though Alicia would have a fit if any of them did it again.

The outside of the carriage was just as fantastic as the inside. The driver sat upon a tiny silver seat as he held the reigns attached to two large hippogriffs. The carriage itself was adorned with beautiful gems and jewels, and Katie had managed to get the carriage owner to stitch a huge sign across the back that read 'Angelina's Bachelorette Party…her last night of freedom!'

"My bosses son owns a company that rent's these babies out." She gave the carriage a pat. "As soon as I saw it I knew we had to take it."

"Expenzive?" Fleur, who had remained mostly quiet, perked up at the thought of money.

" Nothing is too expensive for our Angelina." Katie grinned. "Plus Ali was the one who shelled out the money." She shot Alicia a smirk but when Alicia didn't answer Katie's smirked turned into a frown. "Ali?"

"So you think George has seen the article?" Her voice was soft as she stared at her hands.

It had clearly been the only thought present on her mind all day. She had even tried to coax Angelina to spy, but Angelina couldn't find George anywhere. Fred was even baffled at his sudden disappearance.

"I don't know, Ali." Angelina, who had been pouring herself some sparkling champagne, turned to her friend. " I really tried to find him this morning, but he was invisible. Even Fred was on the outs of his location. He said that the last time he saw him was yesterday afternoon. George apparently came storming into the shop very ticked, and after that…poof." She waved her hand in front of her face. "Gone."

"Did anyone think to try Charlie?" Ginny stuck her head forward to get a good look at Angelina.

As if each girl had suddenly been enlightened by this notion they all nodded and gave a chorused "Oh."

"I didn't even think of Charlie." Angelina gave a sheepish grin as Alicia sighed. "But come on can we really say he's there?"

"if George is feeling washy about stuff with the floozy over here" Ginny tossed a nod in Alicia's direction, "then he definitely went to see Charlie. Charlie is the Alicia decoder or something…ow!" Ginny swatted Alicia's pinching fingers while she laughed.

"I'm trying to be serious here! Do you think he saw the article yet?" Her eyes pleaded with her friends, and as they each shrugged Alicia let her hands cover her face.

"If he read that article he'd be chasing this carriage down right now…" Angelina gave her friend a reassuring pat on the knee.

"Or maybe one of these howlers are his…maybe he's ticked you didn't say something sooner." Ginny laughed again as Alicia tossed one of the carriages throw pillows at her. "It's only a thought!"

"Yeah well I hope he understands that I'm not saying anything to his face until he fesses up to me…" Her eyes returned to the window and she silently watched the owls outside as the rest of her friends started back on Hermione about Harry in the showers.

* * *

"Thanks for covering for me this morning." George called out to Fred as he emerged from the shower. "I just didn't feel like seeing anyone." He heard Fred move on the other side of the door.

"If Angelina finds out I lied to her you know she'll call off the wedding or something dramatic. You better keep your mouth shut about it." Fred's words came muffled through the door. "And could you hurry up in there. Everyone's supposed to be here in ten minutes, and then we need to catch that portkey." He heard Fred move from the door so he threw his voice a bit louder.

"Did you read it?" He yelled at the top of his lungs while he began to get ready.

"What?"

"The Prophet, did you read it?"

Fred sighed. "When do I ever read the paper?"

"Yeah, but this is important!" There was a loud crash from the bathroom and Fred could only assume that George has fallen over.

"Why start doing something like that now? I don't want to break routine."

"This is my future man!"

Thinking about this for a second, Fred moved towards the door again. " You should have read it yourself instead of hiding in the bar all morning."

"I'll have you know-" he swung the bathroom door open and glared at his twin, " I was putting the finishing touches on this spectacular bachelor party….not drinking."

"Right." Fred rolled his eyes as he let George slip by him. "Go gather your stuff so we can just leave when they get here." With a grumble, Fred moved towards the kitchen leaving George to get his things together.

With his own groan of frustration George followed his twins orders and got his cloak and shoes ready. All morning he'd kept himself from reading The Prophet. After hearing Alicia talk about her serious relationship he couldn't bare to read any of it. He was a fool, an idiot, and even a bit angry that she went and forgot about him so easily.

"What do you want?"

Her voice rang inside his head. "I wanted you." He dropped onto the couch as Fred emerged from the kitchen.

"Oi, mare are you going to be depressed like this all night? it's my sodding last night of freedom and your sitting here with a look on your face that reads 'I really don't feel like going to a burlesque house'.

"Sorry." He mutterd.

Quirking an eyebrow Fred jumped over the back of the couch and landed next to his brother.

"Did you even ask her about it? I mean technically it's your fault…you let her go yesterday."

"George groaned. " I didn't let her go! She just- hell it's Alicia! She's so bloody stubborn!"

"Yeah and you've known of her stubborn personality for how many years? You shouldn't make excuses for your mistakes, George." He tapped his finger against his twins knee.

"Sod off Fred." Running his hands over his face he kicked his feet up onto their coffee table. "I'm going to do it tomorrow. I'm going to lay it all out on the table. I'll tell her everything and if she wants to stay with Wood then fine." He shrugged. "What else can I do?"

Fred was just about to answer how stupid he was when muffled laughter appeared on the other side of the flat door. It was quiet at first, and then a roar of laughter sparked up again. "Must be the boys." Fred guessed while George stood and walked towards the door.

Pulling the door open George gave a smile towards his brother. "Hey Ron, Harry. How you guys-"

"Gregory." Ron walked by him holding his stomach as he laughed.

"What?" he arched his eyebrow at Harry who was busy shaking his head while he laughed.

Harry was followed by Lee, who was followed by Bill and Neville, all whom were wiping tears from their eyes.

"What's so funny?" He yelled at Charlie who was busy folding something.

Walking up to his brother Charlie shook his head, his hair falling into his eyes, "Idiot." Slamming the Daily Prophet against George's chest, Charlie stepped into the flat.

Holding the paper up in his hand, George turned towards Charlie. "What the hell is this?"

"Read it you idiot. Front page news…" Charlie gave Fred a brotherly pat on the shoulder. "Sorry we're late, but we've been at the Burrow reading that article. We had to calm mum down when she saw how they trashed Alicia."

"Blimey, I've never seen your mom so upset before." Neville stepped up to Charlie's side.

"yeah well at least part of the article pleased her." Charlie smirked.

"How can any of this be pleasing." George tore his eyes from the paper briefly and slammed the door closed. "This is awful…"

"Keep reading idiot." Charlie rolled his eyes again. "So who's ready for a German escapade?" He grinned while rubbing his hands together. "I hear that this is one of the only magic burlesque houses around." He winked. "I know I'm excited."

"Course you are…" Bill picked up a family photo and narrowed his eyes as he studied it. "You are the only single one going…you don't have that while guilt thing hanging over your head."

"Oh come on!" Charlie wrapped his arm around Fred. "You think the girls are playing nice? I bet they got some cheap entertainment. "He gave Neville and Harry a grin. "And I'm not the only single one here. Have we forgotten the huge break up between Harry and Demelza?"

"Bill sighed, placed the photo down and turned his attention away from Charlie. Any more of his rambling was likely to drive him insane. "Do you two ever clean this place?" He ran his finger across the dusty fireplace mantel. "This is disgusting."

"USually we clean, but we've been busy. Beside I'm moving out in a day….it's George mess now."

"Oh my god!"

"George, it's just a little dust, nothing to have an attack over." Fred turned towards George who had dropped the Prophet.

"Breathe George. You look like you are going to have a baby." Lee took his friend by the shoulders and guided him towards the couch.

"So now what Captain Idiot?" Charlie took the spot next to him on the couch.

"She loves me." He mumbled under his breath.

"We've been trying to tell you that FOREVER!" Lee yelled in his ear.

"But she said- but I - I don't deserve…" Placing his head between his knees he let out a very long and deep breath.

"Come on boys." Slapping George on the knee, Charlie stood up and clapped his hands together. "Lets go to Germany, get a couple of drinks and maybe by them Georgie here will figure out some brilliant way to make up for eight lost years with Ali."

"Here Here!" Fred threw his hands up in the air and motioned towards the door. " Lets get to that portkey."

Rising slowly to his feet, George followed his brothers and his friends "She loves me." He whispered as they closed the door to their flat and set out for the evening.

* * *

"What are we doing here?" Angelina felt her eyebrows furrow as the lot of them stepped out of the carriage.

They, well mostly Alicia, had sworn they were going to a fancy restaurant just to have a simple evening where they could reminisce over memories. Instead the six girls were now standing in front of The Three Broomsticks.

"We figured we'd take you back to the place that it all happened." Taking Angelina's hand Katie guided her towards the front door. "We had Madam Rosmerta help us out a bit." She waited for Alicia to take her other hand and when they both had a firm grip on her hands the two girls brought her inside.

"Didn't think you girls would be making it." Voluptuous and beautiful, even for an aging woman, Rosmerta bypassed every girl and took Angelina into her arms. " I can remember the first time you girls came in here." She motioned between Angelina and Alicia. "You were both so excited to be in Hogsmeade for the first time, and then those twins came in and started in on you both."

"Yes well they haven't really changed much." Angelina pulled away from the embrace.

"I knew from the moment Fred Weasley started teasing you that one day you'd be man and wife. It was just there between you two." She grinned. "Even between all the fighting you did I could just tell." Her hair whipped in front of her face when she spun towards Alicia. "And you" she began, "You and George were always a sure thing. I never had any doubts about it. Course he was always very quiet about his feelings, but you could see it in his eyes. It was always in his eyes."

Alicia felt her palms go sweaty. "Oh, heh, yes." Her hands twisted together very uncomfortably before she shoved them into the pockets of her jeans. "Always could count on George keeping his feelings to himself." A noise erupted from the back of her throat which sounded like a mixture of a laugh and a growl. Madam Rosmerta didn't seem to notice.

"So is out room ready?" Katie chimed in. Alicia gave Katie a silent thank you as Madam Rosmerta spun on her heel and beckoned the girls to follow.

"What did you guys do?" Angelina went stiff as Katie took out her wand and pointed it at Angelina. "Wait a second! What the hell do you think you are doing?"

"Charm you blind for a minute so we can surprise you."

"What!" Backing up against the wall Angelina shook her head violently. "No bloody way!"

"Come on Angie! We want to surprise you!" Katie waved her wand around in front of her. "We worked so hard."

"So I'll close my eyes!"

"You'll peek." Alicia shrugged when Angelina shot daggers in her direction. "You were terrible when we used to do this years ago. You'd always keep your eyes squinty so you could peek."

"I get excited!" She yelled in her defense.

Katie took another step forward. "Which is why we are going to charm you blind!"

"No!"

"Wait!" This time it was Hermione to step up between the two girls. "I'll do it. I've done it loads of times before."

"Really? For what?" Katie's hand dropped.

Hermiones cheeks skipped red and went straight to crimson. "Nothing in particular."

"Oh gross!" Ginny stuck out her tongue. " You used it on Ron, didn't you?"

Hermione, ignoring Ginny completely, took out her wand and sighed. "Close your eyes, Angelina. "

"I'm only trusting you cause you are way brighter then these two idiots." She jerked her head towards Alicia and Katie. Squeezing her eyes as tight as possible, Angelina cursed when she felt the charm wash over her face. It left a warm and tingly sensation deep beneath her eyelids. To be honest, it felt wonderful. Swaying slightly on her feet, Angelina giggled as she reached out and grabbed onto the closest thing.

"Ow! Zat wuz my 'air, 'Lina" Fleur pried Angelina's fingers from her hair and proceeded to mumble something else in French.

"Sorry Fleur."

"Can we go now?" Ginny pointed at Madam Rosmerta who was waiting at the foot of a staircase.

Taking Angelina by the arm, Alicia have a nod. "Follow Rosmerta ladies." In a single straight line the girls took the staircase with smirks present on their lips. After Alicia had suggested doing this for Angelina all the girls had been excited, even Fleur.

When they reached the top of the case, Rosmerta guided them left and down a short, tight, corridor before stopping in front of the only door at the end of the hall. "I'll be in and out just to make sure things are going well." She winked at Katie. " Have fun girls, and I'll be sure to let you know when the surprise arrives." And in a snap she disappeared back down the stairs.

"Ok Angie." Katie opened the door and let Alicia guide Angelina inside. "Just give is a second to sit you down and then Hermione will lift the charm."

Angelina would have answered, but the gasps, oooh's and ah's from the girls grabbed her attention instead. "What's so interesting?" She twisted her neck in every direction as the girls pushed her down into a very soft chair.

"You'll see." Hermione glanced quickly at Alicia and Katie, and upon receiving the thumbs up from both girls Hermione tapped the tip of her wand against Angelina's forehead.

For a second it was fuzzy and watery, but she blinked her eyes only a few times before a deep red started to become clear. Then suddenly, coming back to her all at once, Angelina felt her eyes fill up with tears as her voice caught in her throat.

"Oh- Oh my god."

The color red was everywhere. The carpets, the walls, the couched and cushions, each of them were deep red and lined with a sparkling golf. Across from where Angelina sat a small fireplace lined with old photos and parchment burned and cracked as the girls continued to stare. A large table sat just in front of the fireplace, and upon it sat an unfinished game of wizards chess.

"I can't believe this." She spoke quietly again as her eyes caught sight of the staircases in the corner. "One for the boys and one for the girls…do they-" She pointed at them but Alicia silently shook her head. Everything, right down to the stupid little note board by the main portrait, was there. Everything she could recall was there, and it was all so perfect.

"How did you- why would you?" Her eyes immediately shot to Alicia.

"Katie and I thought what better way to spend your last single night then in the place that brought us all together." Grinning from ear to ear, Alicia spread her arms wide. " Welcome back to the Gryffindor common room or a.k.a. the place where Fred Weasley stole Angelina Johnson's heart."

The six girls dropped onto the plush couches and started in on the delicious feast Madam Rosmerta had spread among the tables. Between each bite they all bombarded Alicia with questions on how she duplicated their old common room right there in the private room at the Three Broomsticks.

"Ladies?" There was a knock on the door and Madam Rosmerta stuck her head in again. "I think your 'cake' is here." She winked at Katie and then wheeled in a terribly large cake on a trolley. "Was just delivered a few minutes ago. I'll leave you to it then." She tapped the top of the cake before closing the door behind her.

"Hmm…." Angelina eyed her friends. "I wonder what kind of cake it is…"

With a loud bang, smoke flew from the top of the cake and a very naked man grinned down at the ladies. "Did someone order something sweet?" And then the mans face went red.

"Seamus!" Alicia fell back on the couch as Seamus Finnigan quickly covered himself up.

"What are you girls doing here!" His frantic eyes looked over towards Hermione who was redder then she had ever been in her life.

"Angelina's getting married tomorrow. We wanted some entertainment!" Katie wiped some tears from her eyes.

"Yeah! Entertain us, Seamus! We didn't pay you for nothing!" Ginny chucked a pillow at him and whooped loudly. "Dance for us!" Alicia had grabbed Ginny by the arm and cried out another laugh.

"I can't! This is just- I don't of god Hermione please don't tell Ron and Harry! They'd never let me live it down!"

"Well if you'd dance for us I'm sure we'd be able to forget this incident." Angelina pulled out a few coins and hurled them at Seamus' naked body. "Do some tricks!"

"Yeah pull out a rabbit or something!" Called Ginny.

This called the girls to explode into even harder laughter as Seamus bent over and brought out a small box that was playing very obnoxious music. With his hands placed conveniently over himself, he proceeded to sway to the music with a very strained look on his face.

"Shake it, Seamus!" Alicia rolled to the floor.

"Show us your inner lion!" Ginny hollered.

The six girls continued to throw coins at the poor naked guy as he danced awkwardly in the fake cake. "God I wish I chose a different occupation." He mumbled to himself as one of the coins hit him square in the groin.

* * *

"I can't believe you, of all people, are getting handcuffed tomorrow!" Charlie brushed off his hands as they exited the portkey. "So now it's Bill, Ron and Fred all tied up." He chuckled.

"What about Percy?" Bill added, but then answered his own question by cursing. "Oh yeah I forgot he was a git for a second."

"Besides none of us were invited to the wedding." Ron pointed out. "I'm still convinced this witch doesn't even exist."

"Which would then make him part of the non-married lot which includes myself, Neville, Harry, Lee and Idiot." They all laughed as Charlie bowed.

"Oh shut up Charlie! I know I screwed up…can we just- lets just go get drunk and watch attractive witches dance. I'll worry about handling my love life later."

"Suit yourself, mate." Charlie quickened his pace with longer strides and was the first one at the front door. Pushing it open he grinned like a madman when he caught sight of all the girls. "This should be fun."

"We've got a private room, ya know." Lee sauntered up to his side and approached the front desk. " I put in for it with George. Something about the bachelor special." He shrugged as a very heavy woman came parading around the corner and up to the front desk.

"Evening lads." She took out a roll of parchment and let it roll out until it was completely unrolled and running down the hall. "Busy night tonight, I tell ya. Who might ya be?" She picked up a quill and lifted her eyes at Charlie.

"We had scheduled a party for Weasley." Lee spoke up at Charlie's side.

The woman appraised him for a second before moving her quill down the parchment and checking off a name. "Right, Weasley, here we are." She made a few other tally marks on the parchment before slamming it down. "Now listen here. No funny business with these girls. One red spark from their wand's and your out." She pointed towards the exit. "Know your limits, boys. We wouldn't want anyone getting hurt." Again her eyes moved across the room and they followed her gaze towards a very large, very frightening, man. "now if one of you would just sign here I'll take you to your room."

With a swift movement of his hand, Charlie signed the parchment and placed the quill back down on the desk. "We're all yours."

"Dandy." The large woman pursed her lips together and folded her arms across her chest. "Now follow me." Together, like a pack of hungry dogs, the group of boys were led to a red door with the name Weasley etched into the wood. "This rooms yours. Girls are inside, drinks and food are inside…don't get too rowdy." She rolled her eyes when they all nodded silently. "All the same." She murmured under her breath as she pushed open the door and let the lot of them inside.

"Holy Merlin." Ron let out a long whistle as his eyes stopped on a brunette witch dancing in a cage of bubbles.

"Whoever thought this was a grand idea…bless you." Fred had pushed by Lee who was ogling at a skinny blonde waving some sort of stick with a ribbon attached to the end. He wasn't sure what the hell half the girls were doing but he didn't care. They were bloody beautiful.

George on the other hand moved directly towards the bar and took the first available stool. As much as he wanted to relax and enjoy himself he had only one thing pressing on his mind.

"Got something pressing on your mind?" A sultry voice caught his attention and he turned towards the bartender with a struggled smile. "Names Adie Coveington." She held out her manicured hand, and took his. He hadn't even noticed how beautiful she was which was strange considering she was the highest paid because of her looks. "You all right kid?"

George let his eyes wander over Adie for a moment. No more then thirty, Adie was definitely part veela. Her white blonde hair fell down to her waist in waves that shimmered in the over head lights. For a second he almost fell for her icy blue eyes, but forced himself to look away as to not be entranced by her beauty. Besides, Alicia was far more attractive then this witch hands down. Alicia didn't have that skeleton look that Adie seemed to be going for.

"Not really in the mood for all this." He motioned with his hands towards everything that was going on behind him. "Just give me a drink…something strong."

"How about a Dragons Fireball? Mixes eight different liquors and a relaxing elixir." She was already reaching for the glass by the time he gave his nod of approval.

"So you getting hitched or something? Bummed out about being attached for the rest of your life?" He was pretty sure she had laughed at the end of her statement, but dismissed the thought.

"Not my wedding." Turning slightly on his chair he pointed at Fred. "That's the doomed man."

"Ah I see." She slid his drink in front of him. "So what's your excuse? Why the sour face?"

He shrugged. "Do you ever feel like you're the biggest idiot in the world?"

"Course, but you can't always be on top of your game. No one is perfect." Adie wiped her hands off on the dirty bar rag. "What happened? Did your lady find out you were coming here and flip her lid or something?"

"I wish it was that simple." He lifted his glass and took a sip of the bright red contents. "This is strong." He pursed his lips slightly at the strong taste.

"Yeah well you should feel relaxed in about five, four, three, two…" And when she snapped her fingers George felt a wave of relaxation sweep over him. "How ya feeling?"

"Completely at ease." He grinned and leaned his head back. "I feel great."

"Good, now go enjoy those girls over there. Seems the rest of your party is having no problem at all."

George cocked his head in the direction of the others, and chuckled lightly as he caught sight of them. They were all crowded around the tiny stage as a witch with jet black hair and a killer figure performed some sort of strip tease. "Like I said, not really my thing."

"Suit yourself sweetie." Pushing herself up and over the bar she winked. "But if you change your mind I'll give you a personal dance free of charge." Turning on her heel she hopped up on stage with the rest of the girls.

"Right." He rolled his eyes a bit before getting back to his drink.

"Georgie, come on over here!" Fred hollered towards his brother.

"Yeah I'll be over in a little while." He turned back to his drink and downed the liquid in a swift gulp. "I'm just going to get some air, ok?"

"Yeah whatever stop distracting us!" Charlie gave a yelp of some sort as another dancer hopped out on stage.

"Gee don't let my troubles worry anyone." He hiccupped.

Sliding from his stool he left the room without a glance over his shoulder. He could care less about the half naked women who were dancing in there. All he wanted was to find Alicia and apologize for everything. Unfortunately he could barely even walk straight thanks to the drink that was beginning to cloud his vision.

"Watch it!" Some girl yelled at him as he proceeded to walk straight into her.

"Sorry…sorry….just trying to get outside." Slurring words filtered from his lips as he continued to stumble around the corridor.

"This way sir…your party went this way." A woman took him by the arm and he stumbled with her.

"What party?"

"Right in here sir." Planting a kiss on his cheek she pushed him through a dark green curtain. " Just follow the hallway, it's the first room on the right."

"Huh? Ok…" He had no idea where the hell she was directing him, but he wasn't up for arguing. Instead he followed the corridor to the end and found the door at the end of the hall to be halfway open.

He was on the brink of pushing it open when he heard a familiar voice fill the room.

"So you've got the money for me then?" George quirked his brow for a moment, but he was certain that the voice belonged to Miles Bletchley. Then again it could have been the alcohol playing tricks on him.

"It took us some time to gather it together, but we have it." Said a voice he didn't recognize.

"Good cause I was beginning to think your team was going to be fighting for the cup without any inside help this year." The voice of Miles said again.

Trying to peek through the crack in the door, George held his breath to keep from making any noise. He was glad that he was biting on the inside of his cheek because what he heard next almost caused him to shoot hexes across the room.

"So how'd you get it?" Miles questioned the strange voice. Only this time another voice answered, and George's eyes grew wide as he realized who it was.

"This girl I was sorta seeing, you'd remember her from school…Spinnet?" The voice of Oliver Wood carried out into the corridor.

"You mean the loud mouth brunette?" Miles questioned.

"Yeah that's the one." Oliver chuckled. "I personally didn't want to get any outsiders involved with this, but she was there and so gullible…plus it's not like she didn't have the money. Her old man is loaded." All three men chuckled and George felt his fists ball up.

"So you scammed her into giving you a hundred thousand galleons?" The three laughed again and George removed his wand from his pocket.

"One hundred thousand galleons." There was a clink of glasses and George assumed they had toasted the sick occasion. "And the kicker is I'm going to this wedding with her tomorrow where I'm will continue to play up the sob story. Hopefully she pities me and well…ya know how single women get at weddings." Again they laughed.

"Yeah but I thought she was all about that Weasley fellow?" The unfamiliar voice piped up again.

"Oh please!" Oliver snorted back a laugh. "Weasley wouldn't know what to do with a girl like Alicia even if she wrote up a damn itinerary. "I'll slip her a few drinks….play up the story, and then I'll have her eating out of the palm of my hand."

He wasn't sure exactly what happened after that. Mostly because his head was spinning with such furry that he couldn't even see through the crack in the door anymore. Everything was spinning, and his heart was beating at a pace that probably wasn't very safe. If he had pushed the door open to reveal himself he really didn't remember because the only thing he felt was the cold floor beneath him as his body collapsed.

* * *

THE WEDDING IS APPROACHING AND GEORGE STILL HASN'T TOLD ALICIA! And now he knows about Oliver so what will he do? Oh this is sure to bring about a huge mess! Well like I said with school and stuff going on it's going to be a bit harder to update as fast as I was in the past. I promise it shouldn't be too long though. Until then thanks for the reviews in advance! Love you guys! 


	19. My Friends Look Out for Me Like Family

Remember When

Chapter 19- My Friends Look Out for Me Like Family

Superstitions suspect that rain on your wedding day means good luck for a marriage. Fred took one long look at his brother and sighed. Apparently those superstitions never paid a visit to the Weasley house. Somehow he had an aching feeling that the blazing sun, and George's mumbling about killing Oliver, were very bad signs. Hell, he should have realized things were going to bad at the bachelor party. After all it usually isn't normal when one of the dancer's levitates an unconscious member of the party back into the room. And it wasn't like George had a sleeping problem. No, the stupid bloke had passed out down some corridor the previous evening, and they had to call it an early night. Though that hadn't been the worst part of the evening. The real problems started as soon as they had taken the portkey back home.

Poor Charlie had carried George all the way from the house to the portkey, and then from the portkey to the house Lee had his turn. When they bid Harry, Ron and Neville goodnight the rest of them had slipped inside just to be sure things were ok. As soon as Lee had placed him down on the couch he snapped into some sort of drunken attention. Staggering to his feet, he had managed to push both Charlie and Lee out of his way as he went for the door. There had been some yelling, mostly Lee complaining about messing up his dreadlocks, but it was drowned out by George's slurred speech.

"Leeeesha, I need tashpeak-" But when Charlie grabbed onto his shoulder it had prohibited him from going anywhere.

"Your confession can wait until tomorrow." He was about to drag him back to the couch when George exploded.

He swung out. "No! Money- there's …there's money… used! It's used!" For a drunk man George packed quite a powerful punch. Even Charlie was surprised as he rubbed at his newly aching jaw.

"What are you talking about you twit!" Bill had held his hands up in the air to calm everyone down. "George!" His tone had been enough for George to pause at the door. Even Fred was surprised since Bill was usually quite docile during sibling spats. "What in bloody hell is going on?"

All eyes had shifted towards the intoxicated red-head. If he didn't look so serious Fred was certain he would have laughed. After all it wasn't everyday that George drooled on himself in public. "He. Used. Her." Each word was punctuated so abruptly that Fred had even taken a step back. There was a crazy look in George's eyes. To be honest it had scared the hell out of him.

Charlie's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean he used her?" Everyone in the room had come to full attention.

"He used her."

"How?"

"He used her."

"Used her how?"

"He used her."

"Ok, but how? What happened?"

"He used my girl! He used her! He took advantage of her!"

"If he hurt Ali…." Lee clenched his fist. "I swear…"

"No…not physically…" George swayed at the door. "I'll stop him…I will- I…"

Fred couldn't recall who had caught his twin before he passed out, but he was grateful for it. Somehow he didn't think George waking up with a bruise on his head would make the current situation any better. Something huge had gone down last night. Something that had put George in such a state that Fred didn't even have the nerve to wake him up this morning even though they were running incredibly late.

He'd tell him though. As soon as George woke up and was able to function correctly Fred was sure that he'd spill it all. At least he hoped he would. It was his wedding day for Merlin's sake! He didn't want anything insane going down at the ceremony. Angelina would have a heart failure! Not to mention the earful he'd get from his mother for allowing such actions to take place.

Like he could control George anyway?

Wiping his hand over his face, he groaned. "Gods the two of them belong together."

"The two of who?" The half dead man from the couch finally spoke though it was hard to understand one single word.

"You and Alicia." Moving across the room towards the kitchen, Fred grabbed his coffee mug and offered it out to his twin. "Drink this."

With one eye closed and the other squinting, George slowly sat up and took the coffee mug from Fred. "Thanks." He brought it to his lips and finished off the contents. "Doesn't seem like it's going to help much." He rubbed at his pounding head.

"Merlin George! I saw you with one drink last night, you disappear, and then come back completely pissed…" He took the empty mug and sent it to the kitchen with a flick of his wand. "Did I miss something incredibly exciting last night?"

George's face sunk. "I'm going to kill him. Today…maybe before the ceremony…maybe after. Maybe I'll tell him I know and then let him sweat it out a bit while the ceremony goes on." He shrugged. "Maybe I'll just surprise him at the reception. Hit him once with a very blunt object…you can't trace things like that. Do you think Angie will mind?"

"If you murder someone at out wedding, yes, I think she might be a bit against that." Fred shrugged his shoulders as he took the seat next to his brother. " But before you decide to run the red river at my wedding could you at least tell me what brought on this sudden Malfoy spirit within you?"

Awkward silences were never good ones. Especially when he was asking George questions. That usually meant he was trying to figure out the simplest way to tell the story without giving away all the gory details. Damn him! The gory details are always the best part.

"You want it straight? If I tell you then you have to promise me that you will not hold me responsible for anything that happens today." His face was a stone. There was not one ounce of sarcasm hidden behind his words.

Fred swallowed. "Georgie, it's my wedding day. Couldn't this wait until tomorrow? I mean instead of ruining two life's today, one being your soon to be sister-in-law, couldn't you just ruin one tomorrow?"

"No."

His hands reached out and took his brother's shoulders. "Why?"

He sneered. "He used her."

"Yes George we established this last night." Fred shook his head. "So instead of repeating yourself over and over again just tell me."

George's eyes rose to meet those of his brothers. Every muscle inside of him twitched in anticipation. He wanted to beat the hell out of Wood. He wanted him to suffer. He wanted him to regret ever coming back into Alicia's life. Oliver had taken advantage of her kindness, of her heart. There would never be another chance for that to happen. George would see to it. "Will you hold me responsible?"

"Tell me what happened, and I'll let you know." There was another beat of silence. "George?"

His lips parted, and he began. "Remember Miles Bletchley?"

* * *

Curse the floo network! In Alicia's opinion it was the dumbest thing ever created. Unfortunately they had to cart so much stuff to the Weasley's that apparating was out of the question. The way Katie packed it was like they were heading out on a month long safari and not to a one day wedding affair. Honestly, was it necessary to bring three sets of silver shoes in case something happened to the other two? Of course in Katie's mindset it was completely reasonable. So with all of her gear in hand Alicia stepped out of the floo and collided with whatever, or whomever, stood in front of the fireplace.

"Ah Alicia! Molly's been wondering about you all morning. How are you dear?" Taking some of her bags Arthur Weasley studied her with a fatherly eye.

Dropping one final bag from her clutches, Alicia smiled. "All is well, Mr. Weasley. Couldn't complain about a single thing." Except of course the looming thought of George that just wouldn't leave her alone.

"Fantastic, fantastic. You be sure to let Molly know you are fine…if you can possibly find her." He dodged a few waiters who were preparing the giant tent for the reception.

"No worries, Mr. Weasley." She gave a short wave as she picked up her makeup kit, or Katie's makeup kit seeing as she didn't own one.

"I believe Molly designated the twins old room for you, Katie and Angelina since Ginny's room is already packed." He grinned. "Quite an exciting day, isn't it? Where are the other girls?"

Right on cue Katie came flying through the floo and rolled into both of them. "Hi Mr. Weasley." She blushed as she knocked over the side table when she stood.

"Please Katie dear, don't you go get washy on us. A little bump is nothing compared to all the hectic hoopla that's gong on right now." He pointed outside towards the bustle in the backyard.

Hectic hoopla was really an understatement. The entire house was a bloody circus. Family members that Alicia never met hurried in and out of rooms all while trying to dodge the waiters, caterers and Ministry officials who were there to perform the ceremony. Ali caught sight of Charlie helping to organize the chairs for the ceremony while Harry helped to great some very early guests. It was chaos.

"Is Lee here yet?" Katie's eyes moved between the two of them.

"I believe I saw him up in Ron's room with the other boys." Arrthur pointed towards the staircase. "You girls should get a move on too." He took out his wand and muttered a charm over both of their possessions. When their things disappeared they both looked up at the man with wide eyes. "It's all up in the twins room. Go get ready for the big day. Heaven knows we've been waiting for these two to get hitched for a long time." He winked as both girls smiled.

Together, two steps at a time, they made their way up the staircase. Katie was mumbling on and on about how great the bachelorette party was, and Alicia just nodded silently. Things had been good the previous night, but George's image had been pressing on her mind so much that she had clouded over much of the party. Well except the whole Seamus Finnigan part. That had been simply hilarious. If she had known he had been so well equipped back in school she wouldn't have teased him so much when she was in her seventh year.

Rounding the top of the second floor, Alicia reached out for the doorknob when Katie grabbed her. "I just need to run this up to Lee." She held up a tacky looking tie. " I'll be back down in a few minutes."

"Do you know where Angie is?" Alicia called out as Katie was already halfway up the flight of stairs.

"Her parents house! They wanted to do some silly tradition before she came here. Gods why does Ron's room have to be so far away!" And then she was gone, though her thundering footsteps echoed down to Alicia's ear.

"Great." She mumbled, pushing the door open and stepping inside the twins old room.

Just as Mr. Weasley promised all of their things were placed neatly around the room. Her deep red maid of honor dress hung from a hook on the wall, and she sighed as she began to slip out of her clothes. All night she had tossed and turned at the thought of the wedding. She had to walk down the aisle, arm in arm, with George. Oh and he had to have read that blasted article by now. He had to know that she loved him, and if he did know then why hadn't he come to her. Why hadn't he found her to explain how he felt?

"Maybe he really doesn't love me?" Kicking off her jeans she sauntered over towards the full length mirror on the wall. On her way over she pulled her shirt over her head and took a breath as she allowed her eyes to adjust to the image in front of her. Her lips quivered in laughter as she looked at the lacey black lingerie Angelina had forced her to buy. The strapless bra was cutting off her circulation, and the underwear were making her itch like crazy. How the hell did Angelina and Katie wear this stuff?

Still, as she looked at her half naked reflection, she couldn't help but feel her heart sink. Was it her dark hair? Her drab hazel eyes? She had never thought her body was that awful, but the plain and ordinary girl in the mirror told her otherwise. She was nothing special.

Wiggling her bare toes into the carpet and stretching her arms over her head, she didn't bother to turn around when Katie finally came back from dropping off the tie.

"Kates, do you think I'm terribly ugly? I mean I really thought he'd see it and - oh my god!" Katie had somehow morphed into a very red faced George.

"Ali, I didn't know!" His hands went to his eyes.

"Get out!" Running across to his old bed, the very same bed she had woken up in only a day earlier, she ripped the comforter off and covered herself. "What the hell! Get out of here!"

" I needed to get- I wanted my my my …" Thank Merlin no one was there to witness him make a fool of himself.

"I'm still not dressed, George! Get out! Get out, get out, get out!" Her face was burning in embarrassment.

"Ali…" He began with an awkward chuckle, " I'm sorry, really. I just needed to grab these." Picking up a pair of cufflinks from the side table he grinned. "See I wasn't spying or anything."

"Please get out." She wasn't even sure who she was trying to convince anymore. Was she pleading for him to get out because she was half naked and embarrassed, or was she telling him to go because of the uncontrollable desire to snog the hell out of him. One would never know.

Running his hand awkwardly through his hair, George couldn't keep his eyes off of her. One more glance of the divine body beneath the comforter would keep him satisfied for life. Unfortunately she was holding onto the comforter like it was worth a million galleons.

'Galleons!'

"Oh god, Ali, I need to talk to you about something." He had been so caught up trying to catch a peek that he had forgotten to tell her. Gods, and to think it had put him in a tizzy all morning!

"Now really isn't the greatest time, George!" She indicated towards the comforter wrapped around her.

Stepping closer he held his hands up. "I'm not trying to start an argument with you, but this is really important!"

"Get out!"

"It's about Oliver."

Her face went white. "Look the article was-"

"It's not about the article, its about something I overheard last night."

"George as much as I'd love to sit here and discuss this with you it's going to have to wait." She moved across the room, ready to push him out.

"Oh!" Both of them turned towards the door to find a very embarrassed Katie. "I didn't know you two-" Her eyes dropped down to comforter clad Alicia and she blushed even further. " I'm just going to leave…."

"Katie wait!" Alicia eyed George and then her friend. "George was just about to leave, weren't you George?" Her eyebrow arched.

"Ali I need to tell you-"

"Not now!" Pushing by him she reached the door and held it open. "We can talk later." Shoving him outside of the door she slammed it in his face while Katie stood their with her mouth ajar.

"Ali…did you…I mean I could have come back…" She quickly moved across the room and began to get her things together.

"No you twit." She dropped the comforter and grabbed her dress of the wall. "The stupid git came in here while I was changing."

Letting out a chuckle, Katie slipped from her own clothes and took her dress of it's hanger. " So did you two mend things…" She smirked as she slipped the dress over her head.

"No." Taking her own dress off the hanger she slipped hers on. " He started talking crazy talk. Something about Oliver…but I wouldn't let him finish."

"Probably the article." Katie nodded as she sat down in one of the chairs to do her makeup.

"Probably wanted to tell me that Oliver and I could have each other." She sighed. "Kate he could have said it again…we were alone and he could have said something. He didn't. I guess- I don't know anymore, Katie. I don't know what to do."

"You could suck up that putrid attitude and get ready to party." Angelina stood in the doorway with a smile on her face. " Sorry I'm late." She slammed the door closed. " My parents decided that I needed to look through the family photo album so I'd remember my roots." She rolled her eyes.

"Still not keen on Fred?" Katie scrunched her nose as Alicia zipped up her dress.

"No they're keen on him…just not his choice of occupation." She shrugged and tossed her gown on the bed. "Ok do me up…" She held her arms up in the air and Katie laughed.

"Do yourself up sweetie. I've got myself to worry about." Katie removed her hair from the ponytail it was in and took out her wand. With a few flicks of her wrist her hair wrapped itself up in a classy looking twist with soft curly tendrils framing her face. "Ok done…now I can do you." She smirked.

"You are a prat." Dropping down into the seat Katie had been occupying, Angelina leaned her head back as her friend began to toy with a few charms. "So Ali, you ready for this?"

Smoothing the lines of her dress, Alicia took another look in the mirror. For a girl who hated dressing up she felt like she could wear the dress forever and be perfectly content. It made her look like a thousand galleons. It made her feel like a thousand galleons too. "Am I ready?" I think you should be asking yourself that question."

Angelina smiled. "Nah…I've been waiting for this for years."

Alicia grinned at the look on her best friends face. She knew that Angelina had been planning for this day ever since they left Hogwarts. It was one of those things that they all knew would eventually happen. Angelina and Fred were the ideal couple, even more than Katie and Lee. They had a connection, a bond, and as much as Alicia loved the both of them she was jealous that it was something that she just could never find. She couldn't find it with George or Oliver, hell she couldn't even find it with Warren.

Angelina had found it with Fred and Katie had found it in Lee. The four of them would have the time of their life tonight while Alicia was stuck playing the date to a guy she had completely blown off. So much for caring about what she looked like.

Pulling her hair up into a messy ponytail she grabbed for her shoes and slipped them on. Maybe she'd go down and help Charlie with a few things. Anything would be better then sitting there watching Katie and Angie get ready for their lovers while she got ready for herself.

"Where do you think you are going? You haven't even done your hair!" Katie placed her wand down and let Angelina examine her work.

"I'm ready. I don't need anything else." She shrugged.

"Alicia! You can't go to a wedding like that!" Katie was holding onto the chair so tight that her knuckles began to turn white. "Angelina tell her! Tell her she has to keep getting ready and forget about this stupid thing with George."

Her fingers lightly touched the newly formed bun. "I love this Katie! It's so elegant….huh…" Katie was pointing towards Alicia. " oh right, uh yes…Alicia you need to get ready. Stop fussing about all this junk….hey Kate do you think you could charm some little white flowers into my hair?"

Dropping her arms down in defeat she picked up her wand again. "Just sit back down, Ali. I'll do everything for you, ok?" She tapped the tip of her wand, and tiny white flowers snaked their way around the bun and slightly down the nape of her neck. "Done, Ang…throw on your dress so I can zip up the back."

Alicia, against everything inside her head, sat back down and crossed her arms. "Well could you hurry up and get this over with. I hate makeup."

Angelina tossed Katie a sympathetic look and then went back to her dress. Katie, however, just grabbed her wand and marched over towards Ali. "Alicia will you just grow up for five seconds? Gods, I thought you were bad in Hogwarts."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She yelped as Katie raked through her knotty hair.

"It means that every time you needed to get dressed up for something, like the ball, or holiday, or Hogsmeade dates, you'd be ready to go out in that disgusting tee shirt and those worn out jeans. You are so lucky Katie likes to pamper you. Zip please…" Angelina lifted her arms so Katie could quickly zip her up.

With one hand zippering, and the other playing with Alicia's hair, Katie nodded in agreement. "Honestly Ali you were a beast when it came to getting dressed up. I'm surprised Angelina convinced you to wear this." She ran her hand down the back of the dress. "Tilt your head to the right."

Her head dropped to it's side. "It's not my fault I think the stuff is a pain in the arse. I mean is it really necessary to cake all that stuff on your face?"

"You used to let us make you over when you were sneaking out to see Roger Davies." Katie grinned. "In fact I remember when you told us to make you look seductive…"

"I never said that!" Alicia blushed.

"No I think you did." Applying a bit of powder to her face, Angelina chuckled. "But it wasn't as funny as the time you told me to find out George's preferred hair color so Katie could charm yours."

"And remember Fred lied and told Angelina bright pink?" Letting go of her wand for a moment, Katie leaned over the chair and grabbed onto Alicia's shoulders. "and you actually let me glamour it that color!" Both girls broke out into laughter.

"Sod off you two!" She batted Katie back with her hand. "Just finish this stupid stuff so I can go out there and meet up with Oliver. I need to get a head start on making a fool of myself."

"Yeah yeah…" Katie rolled her eyes and picked up her wand. "You want me to try loose waves or something? Your hair is out of control today, Ali. It's so thick and puffy." Her hands pressed down on Alicia's head of hair.

"Do whatever." She sighed. Like it mattered anyway? She was too preoccupied with walking down the aisle then with her damn hair. The ceremony was supposed to begin in a half hour, and the nervous jitters were already beginning to settle down on her.

"I'm gonna do a bit of light makeup on you, ok?" Angelina slid over with her kit and took out an applicator. "It's will only take me a minute."

And she was right.

No sooner was Katie brushing off her hands when Angelina pulled back and grinned. "All done. You look great, Ali."

Alicia just sat in the chair with a frown on her lips. "Thanks." The makeup felt like mud slapped on her face. It was disgusting. Between the itchy lingerie and the thick layer of face goo, Alicia felt hideous. She could only imagine what the actual image looked like.

"Would you go look at yourself you buffoon." Giving the chair a slight tug, Katie pointed towards the large wall mirror.

"All right, all right. Calm down." She grumbled under her breath as she carefully moved across the room in her dress. "I don't see what the big bloody deal is." But when she got to the mirror her mouth went slack. "That's not me." Her finger pointed at the reflection in the mirror.

Her hair was soft and wavy, hanging over her shoulders and down the back of the gown. Angelina had managed to put very minimal amounts of makeup on her, and she had to admit that the bronze colors really looked nice on her. Her boring eyes never looked so alive. It was amazing. A complete transformation. Even the soft pink lip gloss that graced her lips went perfectly against her skin tone.

"You like it?" Katie held her hands together in hope.

" I- you guys are amazing." She grinned, turning around and embracing Katie first and then Angelina. " And here I thought you were going to make me look hideous."

"Oh no! We were trying to hide the hideous part of you." Katie gave her friend a friendly pat on the shoulder. "We just didn't know how to break it to you." She grinned.

"Hardy har har. You two are bloody hilarious." She rolled her eyes. "Damn comedians." Turning to face the mirror again she held out her arms and ushered the two girls at her side. "We are definitely the three best looking girls in the world right now."

"Oh wait! Here…" Angelina swept across the room, her white wedding gown flowing behind her. "I had my mum pick these up today." She held out her hand. " For each of us." Her hand opened to reveal three gold necklaces each with a tiny heart charm at the bottom. "Here.." She held one out to Katie then the other to Alicia. "They are lockets…open them up." The two girls grinned as they flicked open the tiny heart charm.

"Oh gods, Angie…" Katie choked back a sob. "Where did you get this photo?"

"Ginny gave it to me." Angelina grinned down at her own locket. Inside was a color photo of the three girls back when they were in their second year. Katie of course was a first year, but they had become inseparable even then. Their young faces smiled up and waved, and Angelina looked over just in time to catch Alicia wipe away a tear. "I just wanted you girls to know how much I love and treasure your friendship. You have been my world since we were so young, and even though we are all getting older and moving on with things you will always be my best friends. Nothing could ever change that."

"Oh Angie…" Alicia brought her hands back and fastened the necklace around her. "That's the sappiest thing I ever heard." She smirked when Angelina frowned. "But we both love you too….and thank you. This is really special."

"Yeah Lina, thanks." Katie clasped hers and turned towards the mirror again. "You both ready."

"I think I am." Angelina swallowed the rising lump in her throat.

"Girls?" Molly knocked on the door, her head sticking inside after a moment. "Whenever your ready you can come downstairs. The guests are here, and we are just waiting for Remus to take his place at the front of the path." She closed the door and they listened as her footsteps thudded on the stairs.

"So this is it?" Angelina looked into the mirror, the reflection of the three girls staring right back at each of them.

"And we look great." Katie grinned.

"And I feel sick." Alicia clutched her stomach.

"But at least we're together." Katie shrugged, her arm slinking around Alicia's shoulder.

Alicia arched her eyebrow. "We've always been together."

"Now we will _always _be together." Angelina's hand went over her necklace. "Even when some of us feel they need to run away across the world for eight years."

"Hey this isn't about me." Alicia held up her hands in self defense. "This is about the three of us."

"The three of us going through this together." Angelina nodded. "If I start to stutter will you kick me?"

"Course." Alicia didn't miss a beat.

"If I fall will you be angry?" Katie bit on her lower lip.

"Not at all…I'll be too worried about remembering my vows."

"And I'll be the one vomiting along the side of the walkway when realization settles in that I'm walking with George." Her words were followed by a chuckle.

Katie spit out a laugh. "Well I'll keep my wand ready just in case."

"Ok so are we ready now?" Angelina flattened down her dress again as the girls continued to stare at themselves in the mirror.

"Yes." Came the chorused reply.

"Well…lets go I guess…." Her hands were shaking so much, that both Alicia and Katie reached out and took them.

"We're right with you, Angie." Alicia grasped Angelina's right hand tightly.

Grabbing her left hand, Katie took a final deep breath. "Like always."

* * *

Bloody hell! When they say school starts again they really mean school starts again. I have had to read like four thousand books in the last two weeks. It's been such a stressor on my head that I haven't been able to update as fast as I want to. AND IT'S KILLING ME! Well regardless the next chapter will have the wedding and the reception. Of course it's not going to be very pleasant.

Apparently I'm not allowed to thank anyone individually anymore, but you know I love you all anyway so it shouldn't matter. You guys are the best. Thanks for reading!

Cheers until later!


	20. I Didn’t Mean to Break It

This is the longest chapter I ever wrote! Twenty eight pages in word and ten thousand words. Whew. Well I suppose I saw it coming. I had a lot that needed to be addressed in this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!

Disclaimers: The poem Lupin reads is one I found by Claire Raven.

Fred's vows are actually the vow spoken by David to Donna on the wedding episode of 90210

Angelina's vow is a poem by Marie Ruggiero

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 20- I Didn't Mean to Break It

"All right, all right are we all here?" Molly Weasley scurried in between the lot of them as they stood by the back door of the house. "Fred's down the aisle, where are the boys…oh yes here here…" She gave Charlie a shove and had the rest of the ushers line up in front of him. " match up to your bridesmaids….go on." Taking Katie by the arm she practically threw her into Lee. " Oh Angelina darling, you look wonderful…" A tear formed in the corner of her eye. "You have your father with you…yes yes…." Angelina held up her father's hand who looked less than pleased to be there. " Great ok let me just give the signal-"

"Mum!" George grabbed his mother's shoulder.

Raising her hand to shush him, she sighed. "Now's not the time dear."

"But mum I don't know where-" He glanced over his shoulder but she was no where in sight.

"George, we have a wedding to start off- oh my where's Alicia?" Molly's fingers rose to her mouth. "We can't have a wedding without the maid of honor! Where is she, Angelina?" George just rolled his eyes.

"She said she had to get something from her suitcase…she'll be right back down." Laying a reassuring hand down on Molly's shoulder, Angelina smiled.

"Well Remus is all ready for us." She gave the one minute signal to Remus at the end of the aisle and he took the liberty to tell the live orchestra one minute more.

Angelina couldn't help but grin as she clung on to her fathers hand. This was probably the only day she had imagined coming true since she was fifteen. Which struck her sort of odd considering Fred used to drive her up the wall. Still that's what made her fall in love with him. His sense of fun and excitement, his ability to push her buttons in ways that no one else knew how, these were the things that kept their relationship fresh and new. These were the things she knew she'd never tire of once they pronounced her Mrs. Fred Weasley.

"Should I go get her?" Katie, whose arm was stuck in the crook of Lee's, glanced nervously at Molly.

"She'll be right back." Angelina gave a tiny nod of her head. She didn't know what was so important that Alicia had to run back up to get it, but apparently it was something she couldn't go without. Hell if it was going to make Ali happy enough to walk down the aisle with George she didn't care how long it would take for her to come back. All she wanted was a flawless ceremony. After that, well all hell could break loose and she'd not have a care in the world.

"George, dear, get in line so when Alicia comes back down we can be ready to go." Molly fidgeted in her place at the front of the procession. The pale stricken look on her face was only a hint of the nervousness that was washing over the poor woman.

"Maybe we should just start without her." George mumbled under his breath which caused him to receive a smack in the back of the head from Angelina.

"Don't you dare start anything, George. I swear I'll kill you if you make this hard for her." Angelina thrust her finger into his chest.

"Kitten keep yourself calm." Mr. Johnson placed his hand on the small of her back. "No need to get worked up before hand."

"Could you please stop calling me that, Da!"

"Kitten I-"

"Da!"

George chuckled. The first time he had ever met the Johnson's was at Angelina's twentieth birthday party. They had proceeded to call Angelina kitten for the entire day giving Fred enough ammunition for an entire years worth of teasing. Still it didn't seem like the Johnson's cared much. Kitten seemed to be the choice name for their darling daughter. Which made it even more awkward when the all went out to dinner and the waiter actually began to call her Kitten thinking it really was her name. He even brought out the rest of the waiting staff to sing Happy Birthday Kitten during desert.

"Kitten…" George whispered back to Angelina, receiving a death glare from her. " Don't you think Alicia's taking a bit long? Want me to go and get-"

"No!" She hissed through her teeth. "We are all going to wait her like patient adults. She'll be back in a minute. Now stop bothering me! I think I'm starting to wrinkle my gown."

Alicia was on her knees in the twins room rapidly searching for the tiny box in her suitcase. She had placed in beneath a her spare sweatshirt earlier that morning, but for some reason it just wasn't there. Now everyone was probably downstairs waiting on her, and all for the stupid little picture she couldn't go without. On a day like today she needed it close to her heart since it seemed like the closest she'd ever get to having him.

Her hands worked rapidly as she tossed clothes and shoes over her shoulder. It must have looked like a time bomb hit the room though she didn't see how that was any different from when the twins actually occupied it. "Where the hell is it?" She threw a sneaker over her shoulder, followed by a bright orange sock.

When the sock hit the wall it gave a loud thud before falling back to the ground. She paused. Sock's didn't normally made that kind of a noise. Springing to her feet she closed in on the orange footwear and turned it upside down. Out slid the tiny box which she quickly popped the top on.

"Thank Merlin." There was the picture Ginny had given her only a few days earlier. There they were dancing in the rain. Slipping it down into the front of her gown she quickly spun on her heel and flew out the door. She could only imagine the nervous breakdown Molly must have been having. Gods, and Mr. Johnson was probably huffing that blasted 'Kitten' crap Angelina detested.

"Alicia?" Her eyes shot up from staring at her feet and she looked down at George. "I was just coming up to get you."

She was a few steps away from him, but even from there she could smell the cologne drifting up towards her. He looked amazing. Perhaps the best she had ever seen him look throughout all her years knowing him. The sharp black dress robe was cut in such a fashion that it accented all the right areas of his athletic body. His broad shoulders, his perfect chest, it was like the robe was molded to his body. She felt her cheeks rise to a blush. "You didn't have to bother. I'm capable of finding my way downstairs." She shot at him.

"Do we have to continue arguing now? Can't we just be happy for a few minutes…" Which was about all she would have once he spilled the dirt on Oliver.

"Just go, George. We have a wedding to get to." Flicking her hand as to shoo him down the stairs she took the next few steps, completely forgetting about the trick one.

He had to have known it was coming. There was no possible way for him to catch her so fast. Once she hit the step his arms were already around her waist supporting her body against his. "Can't have you getting bruised up before the big moment. Not with you looking so smashing, ya know. " He grinned down at her.

"Thanks." She straightened herself back up and regained her balance. "Can we go now?" She swallowed the gigantic lump in the back of her throat. Unfortunately it wouldn't go away. Being this close to him prohibited it from doing so.

"Yeah, mum's probably having kneazles by now anyway." He grinned as he held out his arm and allowed her to stick hers through it. "You know Ali" they took the last few steps together as they made their way towards the back door. "I really do have something important to tell you about Oliver."

Her eyes moved up to meet his and she sighed. "And I told you it can wait until tomorrow. There are bigger things going on today then you, me and Oliver. It can wait."

"No it really can't."

"There you are!" Molly rushed up to the two of them and hurried them into place. "We were beginning to think you disappeared on us, Alicia." She grinned and then went right back into worry mode.

"Alicia, I really need to get this off my chest." He felt the punch from Angelina in the back of his arm.

"Shut it, George!"

"Yes, please. I told you this can wait until tomorrow. I'm not going to listen to you bash Oliver today." Alicia saw Molly give Remus the thumbs up and on cue the orchestra started up. Together, Mr and Mrs. Weasley entered the backyard with enormous smiles plastered to their faces. They were soon followed by Hermione and Ron. Ron was moving far too fast and you could see Hermione yanking him back every few seconds. This created a few chuckles from the crowd.

"Oh I don't feel so good." Katie bit her lower lip as she looked out amongst the people.

"Suck it up, Bell! Start walking!" Angelina growled from the back of the procession.

Lee gave Katie a tug and the two began the slow march down the aisle. They were followed by Ginny and Harry, who was followed by Bill and Fleur. Alicia started at the back of Charlie's head. He was walking down the aisle alone since there was a shortage of girls. He didn't seem to mind though. As soon as he stepped out into the backyard he started waving to people in the crowd. Alicia was positive he had given a wink and thumbs up to Professor McGonagall but she couldn't really be certain from where she was standing.

Her eyes quickly scanned the crowds of people and there in the third to last row on the brides side she saw Oliver. He caught her eye and smiled, mouthing that she looked lovely. George caught part of this and scowled.

"Alicia, you need to know that Oliver-"

"Not now…"

"Walk!" Was yelled into both of their ears, and Angelina shoved them out the door.

There they were, arm in arm, standing still like complete idiots. Katie, at the end of the aisle, waved them to start walking. George remained planted in his place.

"Come on." She hissed through the side of her mouth. "Walk." She tried to say this with a smile, letting the words slip through her teeth, and though it came out a bit hissed George was still able to make it out.

"Oh right." He hissed through his own teeth, and together they began the slow, and agonizing, long walk down the aisle.

"George slow down." She smiled over in the direction of some reporters, her eye's locking with Cecilia Renderwooks for a brief second. Immediately the witch started writing furiously, and Alicia rolled her eyes. Tomorrows paper would surely be grand.

"Alicia…" George narrowed his eyes as they passed Wood. " there's something you need to know about Oliver."

"Not now, George."

"But he's using you!"

"George!"

"Damn Alicia, he's taking advantage of you, and you don't even see it!"

"Would you lay off of him! Stop with this goddamn jealous act George. It's sickening." She smiled wide at the approaching alter.

Fred gave George a look wondering whether or not he said anything to her. When he saw how smiley she was he figured not. There was no way in hell Alicia would be standing there that quiet if she just found out Oliver had scammed that money out of her.

"Would you just listen to me!" He mouthed to her as they separated to stand on either side of Remus Lupin.

"There are people watching." Her eyes went wide as she nodded towards the crowd.

"I don't care!" This he said out loud which caused the entire wedding party to glare at him.

"Stop it." She mouthed as Katie elbowed her in the side.

"No!" Lee elbowed George.

"You are pathetic." She got in the last dig as the music chimed up and the entire crowd rose to their feet.

Angelina and her father stood in the doorway with broad smiles glued to their faces. For a man who was so against the wedding in the beginning he seemed to be holding nothing but love and excitement for his daughter. Alicia caught Angelina give her father a squeeze on the arm before they began their long awaited walk down the aisle.

Fred was speechless. He had seen Angelina all dolled up before, but never, not even when he asked her to marry him, had he seen her look so beautiful. She was a shining star. His shining star. Nothing in the world could ever take that from him.

"Fred stop drooling." Katie whispered, which caused the entire wedding party to chuckle. Even Remus sniggered at the comment.

Still he couldn't help it. The creamy white dress against her chocolate skin made him scream inside. Screw the wedding! He wanted to whisk her away now and never look back. Though he supposed he had plenty of time to have her all to himself. Today he'd let her have the wedding of her dreams.

_'At least I hope' _He glanced over at George who was busy staring at Alicia.

"Who gives this woman away?"

Fred hadn't even realized that she was standing right before him. It only registered when Remus broke the silence and the orchestra's instruments hummed to a stop.

"I do." Mr. Johnson kissed his daughter's cheek and then placed her hand in Fred's.

"Thank you Da." Angelina grinned, already tearing up.

"Would the two face me please." Remus' voice echoed across the backyard.

"I like your dress." Fred brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

"It's a gown, Fred." She sighed, but smiled, as Remus held his hands up.

"We come here today to pay witness to the joining of these two individuals, Frederick Weasley and Angelina Johnson." A loud sob sounded from behind Angelina and all eyes turned to Alicia.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry….sucker for weddings…." She wiped at her eyes. "Continue…"

"Geez Alicia, we haven't even started yet." Fred murmured, but was still heard by the entire crowd. There was a break of chuckles, followed by Remus clearing his throat.

"Now then. Today, together, the two of you join hands in the most sacred of all ceremonies. Today your soul will mesh with that of your partner, and forever you will love cherish and honor each other for the rest of your precious life's. I'd like to recite a poem for everyone. One that touches importance of this day not only for the two before me, but for everyone here that is witness to this union.

_How often do you find that one person that you know you will love forever?  
A love that's so strong and passionate that its ribbons of joy you can't sever._

_Maybe it's the friendship that's so evident in the couple that make their love so strong,  
Maybe it's the fact that fate played its hand and the partnership was meant all along._

_You will know when you meet these people as their bliss is so blatant to see,  
Even when they are down, and are wearing a frown, you know it's only temporary._

_Never take for granted the fortune you've been given, a sole mate's so difficult to find,  
Offering your life and your love to one another is the most generous gift if its kind._

_As the years come and go, and you both understand the reason you were bought together  
Gaining cherished memories in a future ever happy and a bond due to last forever._

_Envisage your potential together, and grab hold of those thoughts so tight,  
Numerous dreams to be had of the family you will raise, and being together feels so right._

_Excitement and uncertainty at what the future holds and enthusiasm to begin a life anew  
Never to forget the past spent single, but the future presents such a perfect view._

_From this day forward, in sickness and in health, till death do you part, is your oath  
To a very dear couple on your wedding day we all wish love to you both."_

There was a few sobs followed by a round of applause. Alicia watched Angelina bite her lower lip. Vows would be coming up. Angelina had been complaining about the vows all last night. Memorizing things, except Quidditch plays, had never really been her forte.

"We will now exchange vows which the two have chosen to prepare on their own. So Angelina, if you will…" Remus gestured for her to begin.

Angelina smiled, shying away for a brief second before looking up into Fred's blue eyes. "Fred….Since I was a little girl I made a prayer each night that some day my soulmate would come and be my love. I knew since the first day I met you that you were the one.  
You have been my best friend, my love, and the one I live for. Fred, you never let me down, you always kept your shoulder there for me to lean on. And now I will be there for you till I die, and even when I die I will be your guardian angel. An angel who will help you at your worst and hold watch over you.I loved you since the day we met, I felt that firework burst inside. I never thought my dreams would come true, that is until we met all those years ago. For all the love in me is, and always will be, all in you, thank you sweetheart for making my dreams come true."

George stole a quick glance across the way. Alicia was busy holding her hand above her breast, her hand toying with something that seemed to be peeking out from the top of her dress. A piece of parchment? He couldn't really tell. Though it was obvious Angelina's words had sparked emotion in Alicia that the girl just couldn't hide. Her lower lip was quivering, and when she turned her face slightly to catch his line of sight he noticed how quickly she turned away.

"Angelina…." Freds eyes darted nervously back and forth between the ground and his hands. Finally, when he seemed to have caught his nerve, he spoke. "When was it that we fell in love, when we were 18 or 16, maybe 11 when I first stepped into that compartment and saw you reading the copy of the latest Quidditch Cup Magazine? I don't know 'cause the truth is I can't picture a time that I wasn't in love with you. I always knew you were the one that could look into my eyes and see my soul. I don't question your commitment to us and I know there's nothing we can't work through. And I accept you as my partner and as my best friend above all others. It's a miracle to find the kind of peace and happiness that you've given me and in honor of that miracle, I pledge before our family and friends to love and to cherish you forever."

George swallowed, stole another glance of Alicia, and then reached into his pocket to locate the rings. In his pocket he felt them clatter around, pulling them out just as Remus asked him for them. To be honest he wasn't even sure what was going on. His head had fogged over with thought of Alicia, that he didn't even notice when Remus announced Angelina and Fred man and wife. It was the clapping that brought him back down to earth. Their hands were intertwined and smiles laced their faces as though they were the happiest kids in the world. A twinge of jealousy spread over him, and for a brief second he envisioned himself standing on that alter with Alicia. His hand wrapped tightly around hers as they were announced man and wife. Though when he looked over at her his heart sunk. He was about to burden her with news she was likely to never forgive him for. And Alicia, for as long as he had known, never forgave easily.

"George!" He heard her voice and stumbled towards her as she held out her arm. "Pay attention you prat."

"Sorry." He mumbled, tightening his grip on her arm as they marched down the aisle past Oliver.

"Thanks." She gave him a lopsided smile. " for walking me down the aisle that is."

"Alicia I-"

"Ok ok…" Arthur Weasley was holding his hands in the air to gain everyone's attention. "I'm going to be brief on the following instructions since Molly over here can't really speak at the moment." They all cast a glance in Molly's direction only to find the poor woman blubbering like mad. "Right now the reception people are moving everyone into the large tent over there." He pointed towards the huge white tent in the backyard. " Once everyone has gone inside the band is going to strike up the traditional introduction music. We are each going to be introduced since we are in the bridal party. We'll walk in, move towards the side, and stand around the dance floor until Angelina and Fred come in and have the first dance. Got it?" He waited for everyone to nod. "Good, lets go line up around the corner over there and wait for the music."

" I feel like I've been standing in lines all day. Can't we have a couple of drinks while we wait, dad?" Charlie shoved his hands in his pockets and followed the group outside towards the side entrance of the tent.

"You can wait five minutes Charlie." Molly sobbed lightly, trying to control herself before she was announced with Arthur. Charlie rolled his eyes and sighed.

Alicia stood next to George silently, and god was it killing her. Mostly because he had brought along an unnecessary confrontation by trying to bad mouth Oliver. Still the other part of her kept quiet because she could feel how fast her heart was beating as she stood next to him. It was driving her mad. Especially as the photo kept poking her skin ever so lightly. A sick reminder of how simple things used to be.

"I'll be right back." She mumbled to him as she slipped around him and came up in front of Angelina.

"So…" Angelina had the goofiest grin plastered on her face.

Alicia chuckled. "Congratulations Angie." Throwing her arms around her best friend, she did her best not to cry on her white gown. "I can't believe you two are finally married."

"You can't believe it." She tossed her head in Fred's direction. " The way we used to bicker I thought we'd kill each other before vows were ever exchanged."

"Yeah well now that its over how long do I have to wait before I become an Auntie?"

"Alicia!" She swatted at her friend, a grin slipping onto her lips as Katie popped up beside Alicia.

"So that was exhilarating. I thought Fred was going to pass out before he got the vows done."

"Hey!" Fred's attention was suddenly sparked.

"You girls ready for a fun reception?" Angelina tossed a nervous look towards Alicia, but turned her eyes quickly towards Katie.

Alicia, having seen this, dismissed it as an ordinary look of concern. Obviously Angelina had been worried that George might give her a hard time while she was with Oliver. Well Alicia was prepared for that. Nothing was going to dampen her spirits. " I have a speech." She grinned like a dope.

"Oh grand. I can only imagine what insanity that will entail." Angelina chuckled as Alicia pinched her lightly on the arm.

"I've been working on it for days!"

"Maybe you should have been working on something else." Katie flattened down her dress.

Alicia quirked her eyebrow. "Like?"

"Like getting this ridiculous situation with George fixed. You know…" Katie leaned in, her voice dropping slightly. " I've seen you do a lot of pathetic things Alicia, but this…well this really is just becoming a bit tiring."

"Katie!"

" She's right, Ali."

"Angelina!"

Angelina sighed. " Look at it this way. You keep running from something you don't even know exists. And then once you get to the cliff and can't run anymore you put up these barriers as thought your afraid to hear what he may say…even though you keep swearing that you want to hear it. Ali, honey, I think your just afraid to open up your heart again."

"You know I didn't exactly expect this wedding to turn into a bloody advice corner. I want you to know-"

"That we really don't understand the situation?" Angelina cut in.

"Or know what it's like to be completely burned by someone you love over and over again?" Katie smirked.

"I hate you two."

Angelina straightened herself up, looked over at George and then back down to Alicia. "Honey just remember-"

"Ok we're going to get started." A voice called from the front of the line that sounded a lot like Bill Weasley.

Angelina took a breath and then grabbed Alicia's arm. " He might not be the brightest guy when it comes to opening his heart, but everything he does is for you. Everything he has been doing has always been for you. He loves you, Ali. He might not come out and say it, but it's there….so don't- just don't jump to any conclusions about the things he does. Cause in his eyes the only thing he sees is you, and sometimes that clouds the vision when it comes to finding the right kind of words."

Alicia's eyebrows arched. "What the hell are you blabbering about?" The music chimed up behind her, and George yelled over his shoulder.

"Love you Ali." And quickly she kissed her friend on the forehead and spun her around. Alicia shot her a very quizzical look, Katie dragging her off in the process. " Oh Ali…I'm so sorry…" She mumbled soft enough for Fred to hear her.

"Alicia's a strong girl." His mouth was so close to her ear that his breath tickled. " and George…he'll do it the right way. He'll make it easy enough for her without causing a scene…" Angelina looked up at him with eyes that read 'You think I'm that stupid.' " Ok well he might not be that discrete about it… but she needs to know. She'll be ok." He kissed the top of her head and watched as Alicia and George moved back a few people and took their place directly in front of them.

The music grew louder, and they all held their breath and waited.

_"Arthur and Molly Weasley." _They slipped through the curtain and the applause carried out through the flap of the tent and out to their ears.

" _Jerimiah and Horacia Johnson."_

_"Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour."_

_"Ginerva Weasley and Harry Potter." _ Each time someone slipped through the flap it was like an explosion occurred in the tent. The applause were so loud that Alicia bit nervously on her lower lip. She hated being the center of attention. Even if it was only for a minute.

" Ronald and Hermione Weasley."

"Katie and Lee Jordan."

Alicia, George and Angelina all turned towards Fred who was doubled over in laughter. "I - I - I told the announcer Katie and Lee were married." He broke out into hysterics which caused the three of them to giggle as well.

Alicia could only imagine Katie's mortified face. Lee was probably grinning like an idiot.

_"Charlie Weasley." _Charlie disappeared through the tent by himself, earning a few laughs from the crowd. Alicia smiled as she stepped up the tent flap with her arm hanging on George's.

"The Best Man, George Weasley and Matron of Honor, Miss Alicia Spinnet."

Alicia's breath hitched in her throat as the flap of the tent opened up and they stepped inside. She could make out Katie's face, which looked even redder then the dresses they were wearing, and Charlie who was whooping and clapping like the wedding was for her and not Angelina and Fred. Mrs. Weasley beamed at her, and she was almost certain that Ginny made some sort of rude gesture, but her eyes flickered through the crowd and finally caught Oliver's. He was smiling at her, his hands clapping in time with everyone elses. She felt the tension release from her shoulders, and turned towards the flap with her arm still in George's.

"And finally the very new Mr. And Mrs. Fredrick Weasley."

The entire tent stood up and broke out into the loudest cheer that Alicia had ever heard. Her face was grinning so hard that she had to relax it slightly. She yelled out a bit as Angelina appeared with Fred through the flap, and the clapping continued until they stepped out onto the dance floor and the lights dimmed. She caught Katie mouth something towards Fred who just laughed it off and placed his arm around Angelina's waist.

_" The bride and groom will now have their very first dance together." _There were a few sporadic applause around the tent, but Alicia didn't bother to bring her hands together. They were far to sweaty. She had forgotten that half way through the song she'd be required to dance with George.

The music started, the band strumming out a soft tune on their instruments. Alicia had no idea what the song was, but it was soft and heartwarming. It was the perfect melody for a wedding song. Everyone clapped again as Fred spun Angelina around, her gown fanning out and creating a white wave of beauty around her. It seemed like time ticked by incredibly fast because the announcers voice filled the air again almost a second later.

"Would the bridal party please join the bride and groom out on the dance floor."

So they did. George took Alicia's hand, disregarding the sweat that seemed to be dripping from it, and gave her a quick twirl before taking her in his arms. She was avoiding his stare. It was completely obvious.

"Don't they look great?" She cut the silence, her eyes glued to Angelina and Fred.

"Yeah spectacular, Alicia can we talk now?" He looked down at her forgetting how much taller he was even though she was in heels. In fact he could almost see down the front of her dress but refrained from being such a jerk.

"I told you I don't want to talk about anything tonight." SHe still hadn't bothered to look at him. " Tonight is Angelina's night, and I am not going to do anything that might ruin it."

"But Alicia this is really important." He reached his hand to her face and tugged her chin in his direction. " You need to know what's going on with Oliver." His eyes moved briefly to where the git was sitting.

"George!" She had dropped her voice but he could still hear the intensity behind it. "Stop it! You are not bringing anything up. Now drop it before I drop this dance and leave you out here on the floor alone." She'd do it too. She didn't care how foolish it would make either of them look.

"Fine." He snapped.

For another minute they swayed in silence. It was perhaps the worst dance she had ever had in her entire life. The tension between them was so high that she felt it pounding through her veins and into her ears. It was excruciating. Though George didn't look any better then she felt. He looked like he was biting down on his tongue so hard that his teeth were going to cut right through. As horrible as it was to think it, she hoped he did it. At least then he'd keep quiet for the rest of the night.

The song slowed to a stop, and applause broke out again. Alicia quickly turned on her heel and headed through the rows of tables right towards the back where Oliver was sitting. She didn't want one second available for George to say something. " Hey Oliver." She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek, her eyes on George while she did it. It worked like a charm, and she watched him turn away and saunter over to Fred. The two started whispering about something, and she watched as he stormed away from his twin and out through the tent flap. A twinge of guilt shot through her.

"You look beautiful tonight." He grinned. Offering her a glass of champagne.

"Thank you. You look smashing as well." She grinned, lifting the delicate glass to her lips and taking a tiny sip.

"Well I dress to impress." He chuckled, leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "I sent the money out to the hospital today. They said they'd be able to do a lot of work for the boy now." He took her chin in his hand and turned her face slightly to the side. His lips lightly brushed the side of her face. "You are an amazing person, Alicia. You have single handedly saved the life of an innocent child."

She blushed. "I couldn't bare to think of a child not getting the care they deserve simply because a family couldn't afford it." She let her index finger trace the rim of the glass.

"Yeah, well you did something a lot of people wouldn't have bothered to do. You'd make a grand medi-witch, Alicia." The lies just kept pouring out of him as though they were water. Funny thing was he didn't feel dirty about it at all. He silently thanked the bottle of champagne he'd been drinking.

"It was really nothing, Oliver. I'd do it again if it meant saving a child's life…or anyone's life for that matter."

"Yeah well you are truly something." He grinned, poured himself some more champagne and took a hefty sip.

"Ali!" Alicia turned her head towards Katie who was waving wildly to catch her attention. "Come here quick for pictures."

She looked back at Oliver who was already holding his hand up indicating she should go. "I'll be back in a minute." She pushed herself up out of the chair and weaved through the tables in order to get back to the dance floor. Suddenly she felt completely horrid for dumping Oliver the way she did. He had been nothing but kind to her, and she had gone off and made him look foolish. Why did the gods curse her so?

"Miss Spinnet " the photographer smiled in her direction, " we've saved your spot right here next to Mr. Weasley." His finger pointed towards George and Alicia scowled.

"Well yippie yahoo for me."

"Alicia." Angelina's voice was low, almost reprimanding, as Alicia took her spot next to George.

"Perfect." The photographer held his hand up, probably a bit more excited then he should have been, and began snapping pictures as they all smiled. Well all of them expect Alicia.

"You can at least try and make it look believable." George whispered as the man tried a different angle.

Without speaking to him she forced the phoniest smile to her lips. "Is this better?" She hissed.

"You know you are really being stupid about this whole thing." He flashed a phony smile of his own. "If you'd just give me a chance to explain-"

"Could you please stop talking back there. The pictures aren't coming out right." The man shook the camera in his hand as though they should have all been paying homage to it.

"Sorry." Alicia murmured as Angelina shot her a look. "Look what you've started." She mumbled under her breath.

"Me? I'm only looking out for you, Ali. Why wont you take my word?" His smile faltered a bit and he could sense the frustration from the photographer growing.

"Because you never gave me any reason to take your word before." She snapped. Suddenly the picture taking seemed very futile. "You keep heckling me about things like this, George, and when I ask you to clarify it…when I ask you to just tell me what you want out of us you turn the other cheek and walk away. I can't win. Not with you!" Her voice quivered slightly. " This matter of jealousy that you keep sprouting is plainly annoying. Not because you keep sticking your nose into my life, but because you wont tell me the goddamn truth. Just tell me! Tell me the truth!" Her body shook, and a few of the closest guests had begun to stare.

"I've been trying!" His voice boomed so loud that Alicia felt her stomach drop.

"Uh smile?" The photographer let his camera snap, and Alicia, with her hands balled up into fists stormed out of the tent without bothering to look back.

Oliver was already after her, two drinks steadily balanced in his hands. He hadn't caught the whole conversation, but he had heard his name come up once. Concluding that it had something to do with George's jealousy he didn't bother to pry as he saddled up next to Alicia and held out a glass of wine.

"Thanks." She grinned, well something that sort of looked like a grin. "I'm really beginning to think it was pointless to assume he'd change." She shrugged and let the rim of the glass touch her lips.

"Sometimes we never really know until we give it a try." He shuffled his feet to cover the awkward silence. "I mean if Angelina didn't have this wedding would you have come home? Would you have made the effort to come and see him…to at least attempt to figure things out?" He wasn't sure when he became an advice columnist, but he blamed a good portion of it on the alcohol.

A tiny breath escaped her. She had thought about this. She had let it whirl about in her head a lot. There were instances where she convinced herself that she would have come home. She would have most definitely found the courage to confront him about his feelings. Then there were the moments when she knew she'd stay tucked away in Australia. There she was safe, and separated. She didn't have to worry about her heart breaking there. At least until Warren had told her she was a lousy journalist.

"I don't know what I would have done, Oliver." The big band music coming from inside the tent traveled out to where they were standing. "It's something I'll never know because the fact is I came back here using Angelina's wedding as an excuse. I knew exactly why I came back here…" she tossed her free hand up in the air. "I just didn't let myself believe it. But all along " she took a few steps towards him, " all along I knew that it was him. I could feel it in my gut. I kept telling myself I was here for Angelina, and my heart kept telling me I was back because of George." And then she threw back her head in laughter. "So what does he do? He completely ignores everything I say! He pushes me away whenever I feel we could be getting close! He cuts me so deep that it hurts just to look at him." With a breath she threw back the wine and sighed. "I need another drink."

"Hey Alicia." His hand darted out and grasped hers.

"Yeah?" Her eyelashes blinked away the few tears that had mustered.

"Sometimes whatever you may think you know about someone…it's not always what it seems. Fact is sometimes people just don't know how to come out and say it. But there are ways to tell…" His hand drifted up towards his face until his finger was pointing lazily towards his eyes. "The eye can never lie." He winked.

"I'll keep that in mind." She chuckled, pulling back the tent flap and heading back inside.

Just as she had suspected, everyone was out on the dance floor. Fred and Angelina were dancing so close Alicia was certain that a piece of parchment couldn't slip in between them. Ginny was chatting away with her brothers and Neville, and Hagrid stood in the back corner with Minerva McGonagall scanning the crowd as though they were still back at Hogwarts. She grinned. Perhaps the first genuine grin of the evening.

"Alicia?" Harry Potter peered down at her. The blasted boy was just far to tall.

"Yes Harry?" Her eyebrow must have quirked because she saw him shift uncomfortably.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to dance with me." His shoulders slumped slightly. The nervous tension instantly lifting from him once the words were out of his mouth.

Alicia chuckled softly to herself. He looked like he had been ready to toss his cookies. The poor boy was practically shaking. How could she possibly say no? "Course Harry." She placed the empty wine glass on the nearest table and held her hand out for him to take. "Lead away." Something sparked her attention when he led her across the floor. Maybe it was the fact that George was staring at her from across the way, or maybe it was the sudden reminder that Harry had been an abysmal dancer during the Yule Ball.

"Sorry…" He mumbled as he stomped down on one of her toes.

Her face contorted into one of pain and she quickly tried to shake it off as though it were nothing. "No problem." It was definitely the dancing.

The dance proceeded to follow an unusual pattern after that. Two steps and a stomp followed by another two steps and a stomp. She wasn't sure how much more she could endure. Her feet were ready to call it a night, and the reception still had another hour to go.

"Mind if I cut in?" Came a voice from over her shoulder.

"No problem." Harry looked completely relieved, and she even caught him mouth something that looked like 'You owe me', before heading off.

"So…." The mystery dancer slipped out from behind her and she sighed.

"Can't you leave me alone for five minutes?" It took all her will power not to lift up her hands and strangle the life out of him. "I mean honestly George, this is getting pathetic….and frightening."

"Not until we talk." His hands moved to the small of her back and she gasped.

"I don't know how many times you want me to say this, but THIS ISN'T THE TIME!" She was up on her tip toes and telling into his ear. That would show him. Placing her hands on his chest she shoved him back and headed towards the wedding party table.

"No, Alicia!" He was on her heels without missing a beat. "You need to know what's going on with Oliver. He's using you Ali."

Coming to an abrupt halt she faced him. "Oh geez this is fresh news. How many times have we gone over this tonight? Gods George! IS this some bloody heroic way to get me into your arms? I can't believe you'd stoop so low as to insult Oliver."

"Ali I-"

"No!" She thrust her finger into is chest. "I will not let you turn this wedding into a circus, George!"

"Too late for that. Next time try to refrain from going completely psycho." He mumbled, his head nodding to direct her attention towards the people watching. "Or better yet keep the psycho bit. You'll need it after you find out what he did."

"God! If you want to take cheap shots at a man who has been nothing but kind to me, then do it on your own time. Alone. Leave me out of your pathetic lies." With a toss of her hair she slipped through a few startled dancers and took her seat beside Angelina.

"For Merlins sake!" Throwing his arms in the air, George followed her back to the table. He didn't want it to come down to this, but what other choice did he have? His eyes shifted towards Oliver, and though he couldn't really tell if he was smirking he had the sudden urge to punch him square in the jaw.

"Alicia." Bending forward he hissed out her name. Both Fred and Angelina quirked their eyebrow.

"Get over it, George."

"We need to talk!"

"I said no!"

"You need to know what he has done." By now Fred gave him a pleading look to stop.

"Sod off, George!" She almost spilled her second glass of wine. " I'm tired of all this jealous crap. I'm tired of the lies…I'm tired of you. Stop it now!" With a huff she threw herself back into the seat.

Silence. He sat there in silence for a few long minutes. She wasn't going to listen. Screw her damn stubborn personality. His gaze flickered towards Charlie who was raising his glass and rising to his feet. This was his only chance to get it out in the open. He only hoped that his friends and family understood what he was about to do.

"Well ladies and gents, it's time we had a little toast for the newlyweds. Ali, if you'd please." Charlie shot her a wink and then took his seat again.

Alicia smiled out at the crowd of people. Just as she had suspected Oliver sat in the back with a huge smile on his face. Her gave her a thumbs up sign, and suddenly the pixies in her stomach melted away. With a tap of her wand at her throat she took one last breath before her voice went booming across the tent.

"He whom love touches not walks in darkness, or so says the great Plato. It's as though we walk in darkness for a good portion of our life until we find that light. The love. Angelina and Fred have had that burning light with each other since they were fifteen. It may not have registered at first, but since that moment neither had had to walk alone in the dark. They have stood beside each other through the good and the bad…they have been each others pillars, their strength. I don't think I could possibly express how happy I am for you two…how happy we all are. It's a rare gift to find your soul mate and be able to spend the rest of your time together." Her eyes fluttered in George's direction. "To two of my best mates! I love you both very much." Lifting her glass there was a cheer and some clicking glass as people sipped at their drinks.

"George?" Charlie ushered his brother to stand and give his toast.

"Sing us a song, George!" Ron yelled out in a sloppy drunken state. Hermione sighed and muted him with a charm.

He got to his feet and looked out across the crowd. He wondered how far he'd get into his speech before the whole thing went down the drain. He was glad Charlie was sitting a few feet away. Getting punched in the chin wasn't really on his list of things to do.

And so it began….

"First I want to extend a warm welcome into the Weasley family. Angie, it's been a long time coming." He moved slightly to the right and planted a kiss on Angelina's cheek. " We all love you both very much. I mean sure we thought you'd kill each other before the wedding day, but the unconditional love between the two of you has always been so strong. So honest. I think that's what makes love like yours so unique. Honesty. It's something that sounds so unimportant, but no relationship can outlast trials and tribulations without honesty. It fuels the heart knowing that your lover trusts you, and values you without a shadow of a doubt. And think that's why some people can never hang on to a meaningful relationship. I think that's why some people have to weasel themselves into other peoples life's. I think that's why honesty is such a rare attribute to find in a person…because half the world hides behind lies…right Oliver?" There were a few muffled murmurs from the guests, and Fred sprang to his feet and took the voice modifier charm off of him. "Whatever it's not necessary…"

"George!" Alicia was on her feet.

"What's this supposed to mean, George?" Oliver was striding around the tables until he came to a halt right in front of the main table.

"Stop it!" Alicia moved quickly around the table and took her spot at Oliver's side.

"George Weasley I will not have this happen!" Molly was quite red faced, but Ginny, being as clever as she was distracted her mother by spilling a glass of water down the front of her dress. " Ginerva!" And Molly sat back down with a huff as she tried to clean the water stain off.

Alicia was on the verge of tears. Not because of the accusations, but because this had been the sole reason why she didn't want to come home. "This is why I wasn't going to come, Angie! This was why I almost skipped out on your wedding! I can't do this!" She balled her fists again, but felt her body relax as Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder. " Sometimes I wish that I never came home!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have." It came out so soft that for a second she had thought she misunderstood what he said. Of course the words were like a dagger to her heart so she knew it wasn't her imagination.

"What?" She blinked, and it grew so quiet in the tent that the ticking from the magical clock inside the house could be heard.

"Maybe you should have stayed in Australia." He whispered. "Maybe if you had stayed there you wouldn't have fallen for Mr. Slicks game." He motioned towards Oliver who was suddenly going very pale.

"You know sometimes I wish I had my memory modified so I could forget you! I want to forget you! I hate you!"

"Alicia open your bloody eyes! There is no sick child in desperate need of money. Wood lied to you so he could use the money and scam his team into winning the cup. Why are you so goddamn blind?"

Her legs wobbled under the heavy weight that seemed to appear on her shoulders. "You're lying…" Her voice dropped low. "Tell him he's lying!" She had now turned to Oliver.

Oliver remained quiet. Charlie had now positioned himself between Oliver and George. Mostly because George looked like he was ready to beat the hell out of Wood. There would not be any bloodshed at this wedding, not on his watch.

"Please tell me he's lying." Her voice wavered. "Oliver please…"

Oliver wiped at the sweat that had suddenly appeared on his forehead. How the hell did Weasley find out? How the hell was he supposed to get himself out of this situation? Lie? " Alicia I-" But she was standing right in front of him, her eyes flickering back and forth as she studied his. She'd know. Even if she believed him tonight tomorrow was another day he could be proved wrong. Apparate away? That was always an option. Though he was certain that would only fuel the Weasley clan even more, and by the look on Charlie's face that probably wasn't a good idea. " Alicia…" His eyes dropped to the floor.

"Stop." She held up her hand. " You don't even have to try and cover your arse up." She swayed lightly on her feet. The silence in the tent was so bloody terrifying that she took a deep breath to keep herself calm. " A child? " He didn't say a word. " You used an ill child as a plan…an excuse…" Her cheeks stained with the black mascara Angelina had put on her earlier. The tears just wouldn't stop flowing.

In her head they were all laughing at her. The Weasleys, her old Professors, Katie and Lee, and especially George. In her head she was just another gullible notch Oliver could scratch in his book. Gods she was so stupid.

" He might not be the brightest guy when it comes to opening his heart, but everything he does is for you. Everything he has been doing has always been for you. He loves you, Ali."

Angelina's voice echoed over and over in her ear. Her heart burned as her eyes managed to find George standing at the table. She had been so awful, so cold. Spitting hateful words at him while all he was trying to do was keep her safe. She was a fool.

"Alicia?" She wasn't sure when Charlie appeared at her side, but his hand on her shoulder brought her back down to earth.

"I have to go." She spoke quietly. Her hands picked up the bottom of her dress, and she carefully removed her silver shoes from her feet. Feeling herself shink back down to normal size she paused for a second and stared at Oliver. " Wood…" His eyes rose from the floor and he tried to pass his apologies through a half smile. The strained effort burned and with every ounce of her she hurled the shoes at him. "Screw you, Wood! I hope you burn for this." She spat towards his feet.

"Miss Spinnet! Miss Spinnet!" Cecillia Renderwook had appeared at the tent flap as Alicia strode across the floor. "How are you feeling? Would you like to discuss-"

"Oh piss off." She gave the woman a mighty shove which knocked her to the floor.

"Ali!" Angelina was already half way across the tent when an arm grabbed her wrist.

"Let me go." George whipped her around to face him.

"You promised! You swore you'd break it easy to her. Now look what you have done." She pointed towards Oliver who was trying his hardest to calm down Charlie, Bill and Lee. She shook her head. "He'll be kicked from the league, you know. Stupid git. Hey bonus points for me since I get to withdraw him. I always wanted to have that kind of authority over Captain Blood." She didn't even think George was listening. Somewhere between scolding him and the thought of kicking Oliver out of the league, George had dazed. He was focused on the tent flap.

"Go…" She smiled. " This is your chance George… try not to blow it." Patting his shoulder she gave him a push.

He hesitated for a moment. The guests had surrounded Oliver, the poor bloke getting it from every end. "Maybe I should fix this…"

"No." She shook her head. "You did what you had too. Nothing we can't fix now. I'm sure Charlie will take care of the prat. So just go."

So he did. His feet sprang into a run that landed him at the tent flap in less than a second. He wasn't positive that she'd ever forgive him, but he needed to see her. Even when he stepped outside the tent and found her gone he knew he had to find her. He'd look all night if he had to. Still he knew she wouldn't go far…not in her mental state. A grin flickered to his lips. Sometimes he could read her mind so easily. She'd head to the most obvious place, of course. With a smile stretching across his face he was gone with a pop as he apparated off the grounds.

* * *

Well I'll make this brief. Next chapter George and Alicia will….well you know. I'm so excited! Yay! Course it wont be pretty at first, but in the end…hehehe. Anyway I want to thank you all for sticking with this fic. I love you guys a lot. Don't fret there's still at least two chapters left. Then of course I get to start up on my next Ali and George fic. Yay! Well cheers until then! 


	21. Note To You All

To Whomever….

Since you all gave me such an unbelievable response I am going to continue with this fic. Much love to all of you.


	22. Let Me Mend Your Broken Heart

Well this is it. Everything we have been waiting for finally comes to an end. Will it turn out the right way, or will it backfire once again? Before you go on I want you all to realize how much I really appreciate coming back here and having such a huge response for me to continue. You guys are absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much.

* * *

Remember When

Chapter 21 - _Let Me Mend Your Broken Heart_

Water. That was all he heard when he apparated into her room. A steady rush of water flooded into his ears while his eyes scanned the surrounding area. When realization hit that it was coming from behind the bathroom door he furrowed his brow. For a split second he imagined that she was drowning herself in the shower. She wasn't that stupid though. At least not stupid enough to kill herself over Oliver Wood. Right?

"Ali?" He tapped his finger against the bathroom door. Silence. "Ali?" His hand tapped against the door again while he waited for her answer. Nothing. Ok maybe she was just that stupid. " I'm coming in!" He called out half expecting to hear her loud mouth protest. Again there was no answer. His stomach dropped to the floor. "Alicia!" His hand flew to the doorknob, but when he gave it a turn it didn't move. Locked. His heart rate quickened and the pounding of it against his chest rose to a deafening beat. Turning quickly to his side he threw himself against the door.

When it didn't budge he panicked. His second attempt was just as lousy as his first, and suddenly he was wishing he kept up on his daily Quidditch training. At least then he wouldn't appear so goddamn wimpy. Still he found it impossible to stop running his shoulder into the wood that was separating them. Despite his constant failure he needed to get into that room. She had to be ok. On the last try he was ninety eight percent sure he jammed his shoulder, but he didn't care. The pain was lost in the frantic feelings that were bursting inside of him.

"Shit!" He kicked at the wall.

_Clink._

His eyes dropped towards the ground as his wand rolled a few feet away from him. Why did he always seem to forget that he was a wizard at the most crucial times? Leaning over he grabbed it and steadied himself back up. Sometimes he was certain that he'd lose his head if it wasn't screwed on just right.

" Alohomora." He yelled, his wand pointing straight at the brass doorknob. It took a mere second for it to click open, but for him it felt like a bloody eternity.

He didn't waste a moment to slip inside the steamy bathroom though he wasn't sure what his eyes expected to see. All he could feel was his blood pumping viciously through his veins as he crossed through the doorway and squinted through the thick steam. Even when the steam began to lift and he saw her beneath the showerhead he was terrified.

"Ali?" She hadn't even bothered to take off her dress. "Are you ok?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

"I thought if I didn't answer you'd go away," The water ran over her body soaking the deep red dress to a point where it almost looked black. Her hands were pressed up against the wall while her head hung low on her shoulders. " I just wanted you to go away. Please George…please just go away."

Even in this position he just wanted to reach out and tell her that it would all be ok. Sure it didn't sound like much reassurance after everything that had just happened, but it seemed like the only thing he could do. For a girl who used to fight the world off with her bare hands standing there in the shower she looked so weak and tiny.

"I heard running water, and you didn't answer me. I got scared." Closing the distance between them he reached out and shut off the faucet.

"Great." She spit out a bit of water and pushed her drenched hair out of her eyes." So you think I'm suicidal, peachy." Stepping out of the tub she didn't bother grabbing a towel as she pushed by him. Water sloshed against the floor creating a slippery trail to follow her.

"You know that's not what I meant." Why was she so good at making him feel so guilty? He really needed to learn that trick.

"Well now that you've seen me alive you can go. I want-" Her voice hitched in her throat, " I just want to be alone." Was that so much to ask for? Hell, she had just been made a complete fool of, and standing there discussing the trials and tribulations of her life wasn't exactly going to help it.

"Ali…" He turned, grabbed a towel before walking out of the bathroom, and tossed it on her bed. " I'm not leaving until we talk about what happened." Leaning against the wall he folded his arms across his chest. Knowing what was coming he braced himself for it. It was a small advantage that he knew her personality so damn well.

"Talk? Talk!" She shrieked. "About what exactly, George? About how you single handedly made me look like a fool? How you ruined your brother's wedding day? How you-" Covering her face it hit her all at once, and the tears began to flow. This had nothing to with the mishaps at the wedding. It had everything to do with her and her pathetic choices. "Why am I completely pathetic?"

"First off…" He pushed from the wall and crossed towards her. His eyes took in her defeated figure, and his heart sank. If this had been the past he would have lied about everything. Take the blame for her and try to make amends. Those days had come and gone and now he was there holding on to the promise he had made to himself a few days back. He wasn't going to lie to her anymore. " I didn't make you look like a fool, you did that on your own."

"George!"

"Eh, wait till I'm done." His hands went to shield his face as she hurled one of the bed pillows at him. " Second - secondly I didn't ruin Fred's wedding. Believe me nothing was ruined except for that stunning dress you are wearing. I don't think Angie is going to be too thrilled once she sees what you have done to it." He grinned as her eyes darted nervously to her dress. " And finally, Ali, you are not pathetic. You have a huge heart and someone took advantage of that. I wont let it happen again…I promise."

Sucking back another sob she sat down on the edge of the soft bed. Bits of it clicked within her, and she managed to push the faintest smirk to her face. So overdramatic Alicia decided to pop out for a bit. In her eyes she figured that her friends entire day had been ruined, and not wanting to deal with that sort of guilt she immediately jumped to horrid conclusions. Apparently things weren't that bad after all.

Folding her hands in her lap, Alicia sighed as the water from the dress spilled out over her hands. Angelina really was going to be pissed once she saw this dress. Though didn't she technically have a pass considering what had happened? Gods she hoped so. The wet dress clung tightly to her body and she shivered involuntarily. " Get out while I change."

"I'll turn my back." He replied without missing a beat.

"No way get out!"

Laughing quietly he shook his head while he turned himself towards the wall. "I know what you are trying to do. It's not going to work…you can't get rid of me." He chuckled again. " I promise I wont look." He was glad he was facing the wall so she couldn't catch the smirk plastered on his face.

"You know you really are a fucking trip sometimes!" Oh how he loved that tone of her voice.

"Alicia, the language! Where'd you learn to be so vulgar?" He heard her mutter something under her breath as she rustled out of the dress. Chuckling to himself, George only wished that someone else was in the room so they could place bets on what she was going to change into. He'd throw money down on the white tee shirt and ratty jeans.

"Ok I'm decent."

Sure enough when he spun back around she was standing at the edge of the bed in that worn out outfit. The flood of memories seemed to come rushing at him all at once just by simply staring at her in those clothes. "Nice choice…" He pointed at her clothing and grinned.

Her hands went to her soaking wet hair, and with a quick twist she twisted out the remaining water. " If you came here to poke fun at me you can leave. I'm already pissed at you…at myself…at the world…so I'd really appreciate a little less taunting. Either that or I'm heading back to the party to beat the crap out of Wood. "

"Wish granted… though either way we ought to have a little fun." His hands went up again. "I really only came here cause I need to talk to you about…well about all this...maybe that article." He wasn't even sure what 'all this' was, but it sounded right. There was a lot of nonsense they had to straighten out, and he wasn't leaving the flat until she heard it all.

Alicia sighed, and kicked her wet gown across the floor so it hit the wall with a splat. She'd been avoiding this exact moment. Ever since that goddamn article came out she knew he'd want to talk about it. It scared the hell out of her. He scared the hell out of her. How in the world could she love someone with her whole entire being, but be completely terrified of him at the same time? That was one she'd never quite understand.

" _You just don't deserve someone like me, Alicia."_

Those words, no matter how long ago, no matter how misinterpreted or unintentional, hurt her every single day. Even staring at him now, his hands jammed into the pocket of his dress robe, she couldn't stop thinking about how much he had hurt her in the past. How awful his words had been.

"I don't want to talk about it! I don't need you barging in here, pretending to be some sort of noble wizard when I-" She hiccupped, and quickly tried to blink back the tears that had begun to press against the corners of her eyes. " this is so stupid!"

"It's not stupid! This isn't stupid…" He gestured between the two of them. "You are so stubborn sometimes. It drives me crazy, ya know. All I wanted to do since you came back is forgive and forget, and you just can't do that can you?" The rising tone in his voice reminded him to stay calm, and he quickly took a breath for composure.

"How dare you!" Picking up another pillow she chucked it at full speed towards his head. " I gave you a plethora of opportunities! I practically spilled myself to you, and all you could say was 'I want whatever makes you happy'." She scoffed, "So don't you turn around and put this all on me, George Weasley! I blame this on you!" Crossing the room she came to a halt in front of him. Her head tilted back so she could meet his eyes, and though her head barely reached the middle of his chest she knew she still looked damn intimidating. "If you had just come to see me…apologized…done something other then stand there I wouldn't be in this mess! I wouldn't have gone out with Wood, and I wouldn't have been made a fool of!" Stifling the rising sob she continued. "My mother wouldn't have made all these asinine plans, and I certainly wouldn't be standing here with this false hope that never seems to go away!" Her voice dropped to a sudden whisper and she lowered her eyes.

Oh how he adored the sounds of awkward silence.

"Ali…do you remember when we let that beast of a kneazle loose in Snapes office second year?" Where the sudden turn of events came from he wasn't entirely sure himself.

Alicia, looking just as puzzled as he was, stood there silently for a moment before shrugging. " When we went to class the next day all of his work had been torn to shreds." A slight chuckle passed through her lips. "Yeah I remember that." Her hands went up to her head, and she ran her fingers through her hair. "Remember when you beat up Warrington in third year cause he grabbed me after the first Quidditch game of the season." She laughed again.

"I told him that I'd break his arm off if he touched you again…then proceeded to punch him in the nose. Yeah…that was good times." Warrington never stepped a foot near Alicia again if he could avoid it. Every time he came remotely close to her he'd look over at George and make off in the other direction. Ah intimidation. "Remember the time when you told Angelina that Fred had a crush on her and she tried to beat you up?"

She smirked. "And then I elbowed her in the gut and dragged her up to your room kicking and screaming. I'll never forget Fred's face when I swung that door open and yelled for you and Lee to leave. Course I'm the main reason they got together that night." When had they decided to stroll down memory lane? Weren't they just at each others throats mere moments ago?

His feet shuffled beneath him, and he moved around her to take a seat on the bed. "What about the time when you came to visit me over the summer holiday and your mum-"

"My mum came to find me and we pretended that I fell off the broom and broke my neck." Course it had been worth every second of it to hear her mother scream in agony. Truth was she was actually surprised her mother even cared at all. She half expected the woman to just look down at her body and walk away. When she dropped to her knees and grabbed at the body, well Alicia couldn't help but chuckle. Needless to say she had been grounded for a long time after that. "That was the same day my mum said you were a bad influence on me…"

"And I told her thank god cause it was much better then having you influenced by her." Smirking again, he let his hand pat the spot next to him, and she took a quick seat.

Covering her face in her hands, Alicia did her best not to fall over in hysterics. "Oh she was so mad at me…she thought you were the devil incarnate."

Stepping towards the bed she hesitated for a second before finally sitting down beside him. Being this close to him she could smell the faint scent of his cologne that lingered on his body. This was killing her. Hell, at least if he was yelling at her for being stupid she'd be able to keep her distance from him. This was pure and utter torture. Had he no shame? "Weren't we just arguing?" Quirking a brow she brought her legs up and folded them beneath her. "I distinctly recall you storming in here and me yelling at you. When did we suddenly go all sentimental? I still hate you, ya know."

Disregarding her questioning all together, George just shrugged. "You ever wonder what would have happened if you didn't go to Austrailia? I mean…lets say every thing that happened stayed the same, but the only difference was that you didn't go away for eight years. You think things between us would have been any different?"

"Would you have apologized to me?"

"Probably not…"

"Then I doubt it would have changed." Eyes fell down to her lap and she twiddled her thumbs out of nervous habit. "Why wont you apologize to me? I just wanna move on with my life George. I wanna let go."

"It's funny you know. I've had so many certainties in my life over the years that I never had to deal with the What If's. I was so certain that we would have graduated from school, remained friends, got together with the other idiot friends we know and just…be us." Standing from the bed, George felt his face scrunch in confusion. "Then when we were up in your dorm and I told you what I was going to do…it killed me. To see all that hope and admiration you had for me…I never had that much faith in myself and there you were clinging to it for me. You always had that faith in me, and I just never took the chance to see it."

"George you don't have to-" Standing up as well, Alicia didn't exactly move, but let her legs lean against the sturdy bedside.

"No I do….I have a lot that I need to say." And thus the pacing began. "You used to sacrifice so much for me, Ali. All the time you'd do things cause you knew that it would make me happy. Every day I watched you take time with Gin, lie to your parents so we could hang around together…lie for me when I'd get into trouble. You did this every damn day and I couldn't even give you anything in return. It seems like such a sad way to live out a friend ship."

"George stop!" She pleaded, her legs still resting against the side of the bed. "I did what I did cause you were my friend. I loved doing those things for you! You were my world, George…my best friend. This isn't about what happened in that room, George. It never was. I told Charlie that days ago, and even as I say it now I mean it more then ever. I don't care what you may have said. I know you were only trying to do what you thought was best. Sometimes you think without really thinking…" Her hand found it's way to her mouth to keep back the sobs. She didn't need to cry in front of him now.

"What If I had come to see you in Austrailia? What If I would have just opened up my damn mouth when you first got home? What If I wasn't such a coward all these years? What If all those things that I was so certain of were just uncertain all along? What If you were supposed to go away? What If we are never supposed to get back everything we lost? What If…"

Did you ever stand completely still and take in your surroundings? You absorb things in such definite detail that you feel disconnected from the world. For a moment you can actually feel your soul leave your body. At that moment a form of clarity hits you. A wave of euphoric resolution that seems to engulf you in every sense. This happens on rare occasion. Yet its those rare occasions that seem to become those greatest moments in your life. Standing there in the room, silence tiptoeing across the floor, Alicia and George shared that moment.

He stared at her and she stared right back at him. It wasn't even necessary to talk at all for everything that they had wanted to really say seemed to exchanged within the air. They stood like this for a very long time. Memorizing years of changed faces and features. Absorbing all those lost moments that seemed to be rising once again. Finding the right way to settle this eight year mess once and for all.

"Remember when we were up in your dorm that night?" His words fell so softly from his lips that Alicia wasn't even sure that he spoke at first. Her hands were gripped so tightly onto the post of the bed that she could see the whites in her knuckles. Why the hell was she suddenly so scared?

She didn't want to do this. Going back to this moment in her life tore at her insides more then anything else in the world. "I remember…" It was all she could force out of her mouth.

"Remember when I told you that I was going to be leaving school that night?"

"_Fred and I are leaving tonight._"

A huffed noise came from the back of her throat, and she nodded. "How can I forget."

"_What about me?"_

"Remember how you begged me to stay and just finish school?"

"_Well do something for me then. I'm your friend, right?" She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks. " Stay here and finish school, and then on the last day of classes have your fun and knock Umbridge down. Fly off and out of this school in your blaze of glory, but don't let her get the best of you now!"_

Closing her eyes, Alicia sighed. She felt like she was seventeen years old again stuck in that damn room staring at her former best friend. "You said it didn't matter. You said that you had nothing left at the school anyway." Apparently her friendship was part of that nothing. "_George, I love you."_

"Remember when I told you that I loved you."

She was almost certain that she swallowed her stomach, and slowly she opened her eyes. Gazing over his own features, Alicia shook her head rapidly back and forth. "You never said that. You told me that we couldn't be together. You told me that I didn't deserve you!" She wanted him to agree with her, her eyes desperately searching his for any sign of lying. Her knees gave out, and in a flash she found herself sitting back down on the bed.

"You don't remember when I told you that I loved you?" He was so damn calm while he stood there.

"You never…..George you never …please, you didn't say that." Why didn't he just shove the knife in her heart a bit further.

"Oh." Scratching the side of his face he stepped towards her. "I suppose then I have eight years of making it up to you."

She opened her mouth in protest, but in that same tick of an instant, Alicia found his lips pressed against her own. Eight years of thick emotion came bursting to the forefront, and while the tears streamed like waterfalls down her face she grabbed at his collar and kissed him back. Pricks of nervousness tickled at her insides, but she couldn't stop herself from kissing him. "I hate you, ya know." She mumbled against his lips.

"I know…" Dragging his teeth along her tender flesh, he chuckled. If he had taken the chance to kiss her back in school he was pretty certain that he wouldn't have left after all. At that moment he felt incredibly infinite.

He tasted like a mixture of sugar and alcohol, and for some reason it was everything Alicia had ever imagined. Even when they were in school and she thought of this moment she knew what he would taste like. She had dreamt of this moment to often not to know. Just like in her mind she tangled her fingers up in his hair, the soft tufts of red locks sending shivers through her body.

Gasps of air sounded between the two, and while he tore himself away from her for a brief second, he quickly began trailing kisses along her jaw line and towards the hollow of her throat.

"George…wait….stop…" She spoke in a husky breathless tone. Regaining her breath seemed harder then she thought, and closing her eyes she came back down from the heaven she had just been floating in.

Lost in his own sea of emotions it took him a second to realize that she was asking him to stop. "You…you want me to stop? Are you trying to kill me?" He quirked a brow.

Taking his face in her hands, Alicia narrowed her eyes. "_The eyes can never lie." _Holding his face there she searched his eyes again. There in the bright blue eyes of the man she loved was a reflection of the love he had for her. It had been there all along and she had just been to damn blind to see it. "You love me? I don't want this out of pity…I want you to love me cause you really do. I can't stand to have another heart break. I cant stand to sit here and think that this is finally it only to find out that-" His hand clasped firmly down over her mouth.

"Never has one single person become the air I breathe, the things I touch, the taste upon my lips…never has one single person become the ground beneath my feet and everything I see. I love the person who does this to me, and one day…" He grinned. " one day when I figure out the right way to express this all to you you'll know how much I love you."

"George?" Her hand still touched the side of his face as her tears stained her own. Suddenly everything that had happened over the last few weeks seemed insignificant. Her world was finally sitting there before her eyes, and Alicia had no intention of ever letting him go. She wouldn't be running ever again.

"What?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

"No arguments there." Throwing her back onto the soft mattress, George hovered over her before leaning over and kissing her again. Removing his wand with one free hand, he pointed it towards the general direction of the door. With a flick of his wrist the bedroom door locked and the night became theirs.

* * *

So I have decided that there will only be one more chapter after this. Basically a final moment where the group of friends gets together to celebrate everything. It sorta makes me sad that this is the end of RW. I have really enjoyed writing this fic, and I honestly look forward to beginning my next one. In the final chapter I will let you know what the title of my next Alicia/George fic is going to be. I have outlined the entire thing and it is a two part fic. Actually it will probably be quite long so maybe even a three part fic. We shall see how things end up going. For now thank you all so much. You truly make writing an enjoyable experience. 


	23. And They Lived

_First off I really want to say I'm sorry for taking so long with this last chapter. I cant even describe to you how insane school had been. You think its only going to last a few weeks and then the next thing you realize it is taking over your life. You really have no idea how sincerely sorry I am. I wouldn't have been so patient, and would have probably flamed my fic a thousand times over. For being ever so faithful I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart. Now I can truly say fear not. I have finished most of my thirty page thesis papers and have finally moved on from struggling college student to decently caught up college student. From now on I will be the best I can be at updating….which of course must mean I have another fic on the way…which I do. It wont be as happy as this one, but it will be my most interesting piece to date. With no more further babbling I give you the final installment of Remember When. _

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**Remember When**

Chapter 22 - And They Lived ….

"Lee move your damn head away from the door!" Katie hissed rather loudly as she shoved Lee's head to the side. Of course Lee's head then hit the wall creating a hollow thud. Leave it to Lee to completely blow their cover. It would take a miracle for the poor boy to finally grow a clue on stealthy maneuvers. Not like the rest of them were full fledged detectives, but they considered themselves rather sneaky.

There shoved up against the door of the spare room in Katie's flat were six individuals dressed up in full wedding attire. It was certainly a sight to see considering the length the girls were going to keep their gowns in tact while the boys continued to strip layers from their bodies. So much for reusing dress robes for the next engagement. At least they had utilized their dashing outfits for the time being. The remainder of the reception had gone off without a hitch, and figuring that George and Alicia were settling out whatever it was they needed to settle, the lot of them stayed where they were and continued on with the party. Course now that the party was over what else did they have to do? Nothing more then to spy on the two friends they were gunning on getting together.

"Ow! If I move my head out of the way how am I supposed to spy on them?" Moving his head back to the door, Lee shoved Katie aside and grinned. Right before Katie had a chance to knock Lee over he held up his hand and waved it around frantically. "I think I hear someone moving." Pressing his ear even harder against the door Lee let out an aggravated sigh when the noise settled down and disappeared again.

Clamping her hand over Lee's mouth, Ginny frowned. "Would you two shut up!" I can't hear a bloody thing with you two bickering and blabbing!" The tiny red head batted away Fred's hand as he poked at her cheeks with his index finger. "Fred!" Course it was also a given that they had pretty much gotten smashed at the reception so while they tried to be surreptitious they were also being obnoxiously loud drunks.

"I still say this is completely wrong. Let them have their privacy." Angelina, who stood in the back of the group, adjusted her wedding gown. During the apparating process her gown had managed to tangle itself into a bunchy mess, and considering she had paid a hefty galleon for it she was determined to set it straight again. Well unless of course something exciting began happening in which case she'd forget about the gown and focus on the newly developing action. Though for the last few minutes they had been standing there the most they heard was mumbling from behind the door.

Fred, who was busy grabbing the nearest chair, waved his hand in the air as if the idea was nonsense. "I've been listening to that idiot drone on and on about Alicia for years. I wanna make sure that they're in there making up or else I'm gonna hex them both myself." Placing the chair behind Lee, Fred climbed up on it and leaned his ear against the door. "Oi, Lee mate, I'll give you ten galleons if you barge in there on them." Quirking his brow Fred smirked.

"Shh! Be quiet! " Lee hissed through his teeth while flailing his arm around behind him. " You are completely ruining everything! I placed a bet with Harry on the outcome of George and Alicia, and I'd like to win my five galleons...as measly as it is." If Lee pressed his ear any harder against the door he was certain he was going right through it.

"You made a bet on the outcome of this?" Charlie Weasley frowned in disgust. "With Harry?"

Furrowing his brow, Fred looked down from his spot on the chair. "Well what side did you bet on?" Knowing very well the answer that was to come from Lee's mouth Fred turned back to the door before even acknowledging the answer.

"Well that they'd kill each other of course…well more like Alicia would kill him,..then maybe she'd knock herself off like some Romeo and Juliet affair… " A mixture of disappointing sounds erupted from each of them, and they all moved towards the sitting area. Lee however held his ground and stayed behind. With his ear still pressed against the door he was determined to hear something before calling it quits. He didn't place five galleons on nothing!

"That's terrible Lee! Just give it up! They aren't coming out." Katie took a seat down beside Angelina who had placed her head in Fred's lap. "The door is locked, and they aren't saying anything. Hell they probably fell asleep again." Recalling the last time Lee had pushed her into the room, Katie shook her head.

Ever since they had arrived back at the flat the six of them had been arguing over what was going on behind closed doors. Charlie was the only one convinced that George wasn't even in there. In his words 'The bloke is an idiot and probably blew it again.' Where as Ginny was certain that Alicia had gone back to Australia. Regardless of what any of them thought the main thing was that Alicia and George were likely locked behind that door and no one wanted to be the wanker to burst in and ruin anything that may potentially be happening.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Charlie kicked his feet up and placed them on the coffee table. "This is ridiculous! They've been back here for more then six hours, what the hell could they be doing?"

"Oh my dear sweet Merlin…" Lee, who still had his ear pressed against the door, quickly stood back up and moved across the room. A look of absolute terror was plastered to his face, and he took a seat in the corner of the room. Charlie, arching an eyebrow immediately, glanced between the door and Lee with a look of absolute confusion plastered to his face.

"Lee?" Katie pushed from the couch and crossed the room towards him. Kneeling down beside him she placed her hand upon his shoulder and brushed some of his hair from his eyes. He had actually taken the liberty of wrapping his arms around his legs and rocking back and forth which of course only concerned Katie even more. "Merlin Lee, what the hell happened?" She had never seen him act so strangely before, and was suddenly concerned about what he had heard behind the bedroom door.

Becoming incredibly curious himself, Fred stood from his spot on the couch and started towards the door. Glancing over at Lee, Fred chuckled as Lee began to shake his head violently. "What the hell has gotten into you, Lee?" Placing his ear back against the door, Fred paused in his own chuckling before pushing away in disgust.

"What? What is it?" Angelina furrowed her brow as she stood from the couch. Making her way towards the door, Fred held out his arms and caught her before she could do anything.

"Believe me you do not want to put your head against that door." Shaking his head he eased her back down onto the couch.

"Why not?" Katie glanced over her shoulder in Fred's direction.

"Well its about time!"

All eyes shot towards Ginny who stood at the door with her ear pressed firmly against the surface. An odd little smirk was glued to her face, and both Lee and Fred made the same grossed out noise. The girls, and Charlie, stared over at her with a look of confusion before Ginny rolled her eyes and made a very obvious, and sort of crude, gesture as to what was going on behind closed doors.

"Oh my god!" Angelina's hand flew to her mouth. "You think they've been doing that for four hours!"

"Kudos to George for that accomplishment." Fred, whose head was still buried in his hands, let out a semi-chuckle.

"You should start taking pointers from him sweetheart." Angelina cracked somewhere behind him, and Fred merely lifted his finger and shot her his very own crude gesture.

How long they stood there grinning like idiots they weren't sure, but by the time Ginny spoke up again it felt like a sodding eternity. Perhaps it was better off if they just left them at Katies for the day, or perhaps….

"Oh Gods I think they are coming out…" Ginny turned to run but only collided with Lee who was practically standing on top of her. When he had arrived behind her again she didn't know but it was too late as she already started a downward spiral of events. Angelina who had been pacing in front of the door tripped on the end of her wedding gown sending her back into Katie who just so happened to be closest to Fred. As she reached out to grab Fred he reached out for Charlie and in a split second the group of them were piled together on the floor in front of the bedroom door. Soft shuffling suddenly became louder and a click on the doorknob caused them all to cringe.

A very disheveled looking Alicia appeared in the doorframe and while she looked back over her shoulder to obviously say something to George the group of friends on the floor braced themselves. It was when she turned forward again that she screamed bloody murder and quickly retreated into the room only allowing her head to show from around the door. Thankfully she had been wearing a fancy pair of underwear and her tee-shirt or else things might have been a bit more embarrassing. For a long while the group of them stared back at her while Alicia's jaw went slack. No one wanted to be the first person to speak in fear of the lashing they may receive via Alicia. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, George pushed his way by Alicia and stopped to stare at the tangled mess in front of him.

"The lot of you are pathetic. I hope you know that." He didn't care that he was only wearing a pair of running shorts. On the contrary, George was more then glad to prance out of that room with a half naked Alicia. It only confirmed one thing in his mind, and it was about bloody time too. Not too mention he knew that the rest of them were probably feeling the same exact thing. Of course this wasn't how Alicia worked, and as he felt her presence appear at his side he cringed for the worst to begin.

"How long have you all been standing there?" Ali's eyes flickered between the group of them before coming to settle down on a smirking Lee. "I swear on Merlin's gray beard I will kill you Lee Jordan." Her fists clenched, and as she stepped forward George placed his hand on her stomach to keep her from advancing any further. "George!"

One by one the group of them began untangling, and instead of making a fuss George took Alicia by the hand and guided her towards Katie's couch. Still dumbfounded by everything that was going on the remaining six followed close behind and took their own seats on the various pieces of furniture. Then once again the silence filled the room as all eyes turned to stare at the two half naked people sitting on Katie's couch. Most things never really bothered Alicia but unfortunately she was not drunk enough to condone this. "I need to change." She sprang up to her feet but George immediately pulled her back down. "George!" All he did was arch his brow and in a huff she folded her arms across her chest.

"Before I let anyone ask questions there is one thing you all need to know." Sitting forward George began addressing the group of them as though it was the first meeting of some secret organization. Of course the group of them lapped it up like sodding dogs and they each nodded eagerly at the idea of learning a bit of what had happened between their two friends. Keeping quiet a bit longer then necessary, George began shaking his head." Alicia and I are very disappointed that you all forgot to bring us cake. I mean for Merlin's sake we missed the entire reception! The least you could have done was bring us something to eat as payment for spying on us." A satisfied smirk rose to his lips and with a triumphant sigh George leaned back into the couch and stretched his arm out and around Alicia's shoulders. The rest of them just rolled their eyes and sat back in their seats looking slightly perturbed.

Angelina, still completely in awe of what had occurred behind closed doors, merely stared at them with her mouth gapped open. "Do you…I mean….have you….I…you…I can't believe…." Shaking her head as the broken words came from her mouth, Angie let out a frustrated yelp. "I hate you both! I have never had a problem speaking before and now I'm mumbling like a sodding idiot! What the hell am I holding back for?" The rest of the group looked over towards Angelina like she had flipped off her rocker. "It's about time the two of you sorted things out. I was sodding sick and tired of hearing George drone on about how no one would ever be like Alicia, and I was certainly tired of Alicia pretending that she could care less about George. So kudos to you both…its about time you shagged the hell out of each other."

"Angelina!" Alicia bolted up from the couch and narrowed her eyes in Angie's direction. There was a hint of tension that suddenly appeared, and Ginny dropped her face into her hands. It never failed that Angelina burst out with the most blatant and blunt statements. They could always count on her for being straight with anything. Unfortunately no one was really certain on how Alicia would take things at times, and most people steered clear of Ali's sudden temper tantrums. "You know…" Alicia stepped around the coffee table, her bottom still peaking out from beneath the tee-shirt she was wearing. Hell, she was lucky she had put on her underwear before opening that door. " Angie…" They could almost see Angelina brace herself for a punch, but were all a bit taken back as Alicia wrapped her arms around her best friend instead. "Thank you. Thank you for getting married and setting me straight so many times. Thank you for being my best friend and continuing to drive me crazy over and over again." Settling her head down on Angie's shoulder she gave one last enormous hug before stepping back and reaching out for George again. "We fixed things."

"We fixed a lot of things." He added, squeezing her hand tightly in his.

Ginny, who had remained quiet all this time sprang from her seat and practically tackled Alicia back down onto the couch. "I told you! I knew it! I knew it for all these years! Remember? Remember when I told you that one day you'd be together. Remember?" Just like that Ginny had turned back into her giddy five year old self.

"I remember." Alicia murmured as her eyes traveled up to lock with his. "But look…"

"It's not that easy." George chimed in again while Fred proceeded to slap him repeatedly on the back. "We have a lot of things we need to work out. I mean a lot of things that were exchanged between us was harsh, and we need to work on that. So this isn't like we are claiming to be some happy couple on the verge of a ending this story with a happily ever after."

Katie reached out and touched Alicia's arm gently. "Believe me Ali we are just happy to finally see the two of you smiling again."

"Believe me its nice to see that you didn't blow it." Charlie, who had slinked his way over to George, grinned as his brother punched him lightly in the arm.

Alicia grinned again as she gazed between her friends and the man that she had loved for so many years. The man she loved. Merlin just to think those words again sent a cool shiver through her, and she chuckled. How long had they played tip toe around the sensitive subject? How long had her friends reminded her how much she was meant to be with George? As George turned to make some snide comment back at Charlie, Alicia glanced over towards Fred who had been the quietest of them all. Everyone else was busy chatting away over the news, and Fred just stood there silently with a silly little smile glued to his face. "Thanks." Alicia silently mouthed in his direction knowing very well that for all the years she was away Fred had kept George from making mistakes with other girls. She owed Fred for a lot of things when it came to George. The bloke kept him in balance, and while George would never admit it Alicia knew that it was Fred who probably got George to open up his feelings about her.

"It's about time." He mouthed back, unfolding his arms and patting George on the back again.

"What are you two doing… making out via telepathy?" Lee quirked a brow and glanced between Alicia and Fred. "Cause if that's the case I'd certainly like to join in on this." Not only did Lee receive a nice slap on the back of the head from Katie, but Angelina knocked him a good one right before George pulled him in for a hug. "Why are you hugging me while everyone else is hitting me? Hey stop it!" He tried to move his arms to block the shots from Angelina, but George kept the embrace tight.

George groaned. "The longer I hug you the less likely I am to knock you out." George stated in a very matter of fact tone.

"Ah…good point. Hug away…" Lee nuzzled his head right beneath George's chin only to receive a slight slap on the back of the head from George.

"I said hug me not caress me." Pushing Lee away from him George found his way back to Alicia's side and placed his arms around her shoulder. Glancing between each person who stood before him George knew that this was the way it was always supposed to be, and when his eyes locked with Charlie's he gave a very cockeyed thumbs up. Sure Charlie had bugged him for years about the falling out he had with Alicia, and finally after all those punches George had seen what Charlie had wanted him to see. That this was the way it was always supposed to be. He was supposed to spend the rest of his life with Alicia, and now after years of wasted time he was finally going to get that chance.

"Gods I don't know why I hang around with the lot of you." Angelina tossed her hands up in the air. Folding them across her chest Lee placed his head on her shoulder and grinned. She was almost compelled to back him off of her but something about the moment forced her not to. Of course she blamed George and Alicia for placing a lovey dovey charm on her, but knew it was the mixture of her own wedding and the exchange of feelings between two of her best friends that really did her in.

Chuckling slightly Alicia shook her head back and forth. "Cause you'd be completely lost with out us Angie." Alicia felt the corners of her lips pull into that Spinnet smile and she shrugged. "Admit it…you love the drama and chaos."

While all eyes turned to Angelina the girl had no choice but to burst into a fit of giggles, and she shook her fist at them in a very unthreatening manner. "Remember all those times I used to beat you guys up? Don't think I wont do it…"

"Pshhh please Angie…" Lee rolled his eyes while lifting his head from her shoulders. " Like you'd want to shed blood on your beautiful dress."

Emitting one of her horrific noises Angelina turned towards Lee and balled her fists even tighter then they already were. " Damn Lee! It is a gown! A gown! What's so hard to remember?"

The sudden outburst caused them all to erupt into laughter, and there in that fleeting moment the world that they had once found so accepting and comforting returned to them. It was one of those things that they would never be able to explain to each other but they all felt it. It was that same feeling they had received when they had secretly watched Alicia and George dance out in the rain. It was that feeling of friends and of family coming together and finally making things whole again. It was in that very moment that each of them felt completely infinite.

"Remember when life used to feel this simple and perfect…" Katie finally mumbled out as they began to calm down from the chaotic laughter.

Flickering their gazed between each other they nodded in unison. They knew what she meant. They understood it completely. Still not one of them could emphasize exactly what it was they wished to express. It was Ginny who finally broke the silence delivering them from the stillness. "Who said that feeling ever had to go away?"

Tightening his grip around Alicia, George took one look at the woman he loved and shook his head. "No one said it did Gin….and I doubt it ever really will." Kissing her lightly on the temple George grinned. "And if it does…you all remember when I said this and that feeling will come back… hear me?"

Not bothering to see if anyone answered him Alicia placed her head against his and sighed. "I'll remember when George…I'll remember when…"

------

**THE END!**

Again I completely apologize for making you wait so long for this brief ending. I know it wasn't anything stellar, but it was a nice little gathering of the group again before the fic concluded. If you are at all interested in my next fic I shall be getting that up soon. Once again I thank you so much for sticking with me for so long, and since you have all been so amazing I shall leave you with a very short synopsis of my next fic, a two parter might I add, which is titled Where Have You Been?

…..

_The rows of statues that lined the corridor became a blur as his eyes focused in on a figure he had seen drift down a road almost five years ago. Her hand was latched onto the hand of a tiny boy and even from the distance he was at he could tell that she was teaching him about the different sculptures in museum. Could he even find the strength to speak to her? After all he had witnessed her disappear from his life and had never received an owl after almost five years of searching for her. It didn't matter. He had to speak to her. How could he possibly pass up an opportunity like this when it was practically begging him to take an initiative? He'd be a complete fool to just turn his back and pretend he never saw her. George Weasley was no fool. _

_Finally finding the courage somewhere deep within the pit of his stomach George took a breath and began the short trek across the corridor towards the skinny looking brunette. Her once long and flowing locks had been chopped to the shoulder giving her a much more mature look to her very childish face. Though that wasn't her fault. She had always looked younger than half the students in their year, and George had found that one of her more endearing qualities. Approaching her side he remained quiet for a moment while he took in the conversation she was having with the little boy. _

"_But whys it missin' 'is nose?" The freckled face boy turned his inquisitive eyes towards her which only made her smile. _

"_Now James what did I tell you about the sculpture before this one?" Her voice was soft and calm just the way George had recalled it. For a second it felt like she had never left his side. _

"_Cause they're old. Right Mommy…" When she nodded the young boy, rather pleased he had answered the question himself, puffed out his chest in an all to familiar fashion. _

_George quirked a brow. Mommy? Studying the features on the woman's face again he shook his head. It couldn't be her! There was no way she would have passed up her passion for Quidditch to raise a family. She had her life planned out since she was in her first year, and to settle down so early just wasn't her style. No he had to be wrong. His eyes were just playing tricks on him all along. The woman before him was a stranger who he had mistaken for someone else. Closing his eyes and placing his hand over his face George let out a sigh but was cut off as someone bumped into his shoulder. _

"_Oh! I'm sorry…" The soft voice, her voice, filled his ears again, but thoroughly convinced that it wasn't her this time he opened his eyes and smiled at the girl. From head to toe it looked like her, and he disregarded it knowing that there was no way the woman standing before his eyes could be her. Hell, if it was she would have surely recognized him by now. _

"_Its ok…no problem at all." His eyes flickered towards the woman's son, and for a second he fixed his eyes on the freckles that sprinkled the bridge of the boys nose. " It was my fault anyway. I was standing in the…" Somewhere his words trailed off when he brought his eyes back up to meet hers again. There in the same exact spot on the left side of her chin was that scar he had pointed out in their seventh year. His legs began to waver beneath him, and quickly he steadied himself against one of the nearby benches. His mouth, which he was so used to running at a mile a minute, became dry and at a loss for words. Only one thing was able to pass through them, and in the pit of his stomach he hoped the answer he received was the one he wanted. "Alicia?" _

_The woman cocked a brow, which he had taken as a good sign, but that sign was lost as she flashed a genuine smile and held out her hand. "Yes…Yes I am. Alicia Warrington…do I know you?" _

_(( Look for that fic to be arriving soon! It's going to be a thriller to say the very least.)) _


	24. To You Fabulous Readers and Reviewers

**Shameless plug!**

Hi all! You have all been such loyal and loving followers of this story, so I wanted to share a new adventure I am starting under a new pen name: **K. Lynn Perkins**

and a brand new story called:

**You Are Not the Sun**

You can find the links in my profile page (to which I surely hope you do go look)

This **_first new story_** features our beloved heroine Miss Alicia Spinnet, but this time she will be venturing into a dark and dramatic tale of what it is like to fall for the wrong sort of man. This story will be a bit more mature then those under this pen name which is why I decided to submit it under a new.

Like I said you have all been such wonderful reviewers and I wanted to let you in on this new epic ride I am taking. Please check it out and like always, leave a review and get a lot of love and credit from me.

Cheers!

Eruaphadriel/K. Lynn Perkins


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